Design of Low Cost Temperature Controlled Neonatal Transportation Device
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Date
2017-01
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Temperature instability in preterm neonates is one of the major causes of morbidity and
mortality. The immature systems and organs of preterm neonates in combination with poor
facilities and after birth care lead to lifelong health complications, if not death. The drop of
temperature in preterm neonatesneonate highly increases while they are transported through the
embrace of nurses from delivery rooms to Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) in referral
hospitals. They may also be transported by ambulances for large kilometers, because NICUs in
Ethiopia are found only in referral hospitals. A significant drop of temperature in the surrounding
environment during transportation makes the preterm neonates hypothermic and affects the
whole function of their body. Therefore it‟s necessary to measure and optimize the neonates‟
body temperature to the normal level while they are being transported.
In order to solve this problem, in this thesis we have designed and prototyped a novel portable
device that can be used to transport the neonates in a temperature controlled environment. We
believe that this device, once fully developed and implemented, can save thousands of lives of
preterm neonates and avoid the pain caused to parents due to lose of their new born babies. The
price and simplicity of our design makes it convenient for use in low resource settings and low
income countries like Ethiopia.
In our design, we have used temperature sensors and microcontroller to measure the body
temperature of the preterm neonates and make the right decisions. Heater and fan are used to
generate and circulate heat around the preterm neonate. Based on the temperature reading
obtained from the temperature sensors, the microcontroller decides whether or not to turn the
heater and fan ON. The system uses dis
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Keywords
preterm neonates, NICU, body temperature