An Open-Source Neonatal Phototherapy Device

Severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (SNH) (jaundice) is responsible for over 114,000 preventable neonatal deaths annually, as the technology that can treat the condition is cost-prohibitive for low- and middle-income countries. In this study an open-source neonatal phototherapy device (NPTD) to treat SNH was designed, built, and validated against the phototherapy technical specifications set by the American Academy of Pediatrics and UNICEF. The open-source device can be built for a tenth of the cost of the least expensive proprietary one on the market, with treatment metrics equivalent to or exceeding commercial devices available in developed nations. This device, whose material costs are USD 93.00, was shown to deliver an irradiance up to 80 µW/cm2/nm, within the acceptable wavelength range of 420–500 nm. It was further demonstrated that the unit could deliver a uniform distribution of irradiance (34.5 ± 4.3 µW/cm2/nm) over a surface area exceeding 3200 cm2. These findings show that the open-source NPTD is capable of delivering accurate, consistent, and reliable irradiances for the management of SNH. By releasing full documentation in an open-source manner, the device may be broadly used to ensure affordable and consistent low-cost means of improving the quality of care for SNH.