Designing for Newborn Health Hanoi, Vietnam Rachel Gilbert Whitaker Grantee Enrichment Seminar Budapest, Hungary 28 April 2015

Living in Hanoi

Global health for newborns % of newborn deaths occur in developing countries 1 35% of deaths due to complications from preterm births 2

Design and manufacture low-cost medical devices for newborns Distribute MTTS devices to hospitals in Southeast Asia 2,500 doctors and nurses trained 55,000 newborns treated per year 300 hospitals provided with devices for free

Phototherapy blanket: my first project Blanket that delivers blue light therapy to treat infants with jaundice 80% of pre-term infants develop jaundice 1 Blanket allows for –Parent-infant bonding –Breastfeeding –Parents to take part in improving baby’s health 1

Vietnamese hospitals don’t need phototherapy blankets Little emphasis on parent- baby interaction Good access to overhead phototherapy lights St. Paul’s Municipal Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam

f Kangaroo Mother Care: Implement in Vietnamese hospitals

CPAP: my new project I’m incorporating pulse oximetry: monitors baby’s oxygen level to ensure proper treatment CPAP reduces mortality by keeping premature lungs open Treats respiratory distress syndrome: affects 50% of preterm infants 1 New version for CE Mark 1

CPAP: RDS and treatment Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS): difficulty breathing due to premature lungs –High mortality rate without treatment Keeps airway and alveoli open Improves oxygen and CO2 exchange Decreases work of breathing bCPAP: Bubble continuous positive airway pressure Increases survival by 70% 1 Inexpensive treatment 1 Kamath, B.D. et al., Pediatrics (2011) 6:127

CPAP: pulse oximetry Pulse-ox necessary to ensure that baby receives adequate oxygen –Low oxygen: asphyxia –High oxygen: eye and lung problems Red LED IR LED Photodectector Integrating off-the-shelf pulse oximetry module –Circuit board for module to interface with –Program for CPAP to read SpO2 and heart rate from module –Tests for compliance to standards

CPAP: faulty autoclave Problem Troubleshoot Solution

Designing medical devices to give every newborn the chance to survive