When an infant is born prematurely, there are a number of health risks. Among these are underdeveloped lungs, which can lead to abnormal gas exchange of oxygen or hypoxemia. Hypoxemia is treated through oxygen therapy, which involves the delivery of supplemental oxygen to the patient but there are risks associated with this method. Risks include retinopathy, which can cause eye damage when oxygen concentration is too high, and brain damage, when the concentration is too low [1]. Supplemental oxygen concentration must be controlled rigorously. Currently healthcare staff monitors infants’ blood oxygen saturation level using a pulse oximeter. They manually adjust the oxygen concentration using an air-oxygen blender. Inconsistent manual adjustments can produce excessive fluctuations and cause the actual oxygen saturation level to deviate from the target value. Precision and accuracy are compromised. This project develops an automatic oxygen delivery system that regulates the supplemental oxygen concentration to obtain a target blood oxygen saturation level. A microprocessor uses a LABVIEW® program to analyze pulse oximeter and analyzer readings and control electronic valves in a redesigned air-oxygen blender. A user panel receives a target saturation level, displays patient data, and signals alarms when necessary. The prototype construction and testing began February 2010.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Design Of Medical Devices Conference Abstracts
Automatic Oxygen Delivery System for Premature Babies
Andre A. Muelenaer
Andre A. Muelenaer
Carilion Clinic Children’s Hospital
Search for other works by this author on:
Thao P. Do
Virginia Tech
Lindsey J. Eubank
Virginia Tech
Devin S. Coulter
Virginia Tech
John M. Freihaut
Virginia Tech
Carlos E. Guevara
Virginia Tech
Alfred Wicks
Virginia Tech
Andre A. Muelenaer
Carilion Clinic Children’s Hospital
J. Med. Devices. Jun 2010, 4(2): 027521 (1 pages)
Published Online: August 10, 2010
Article history
Published:
August 10, 2010
Citation
Do, T. P., Eubank, L. J., Coulter, D. S., Freihaut, J. M., Guevara, C. E., Wicks, A., and Muelenaer, A. A. (August 10, 2010). "Automatic Oxygen Delivery System for Premature Babies." ASME. J. Med. Devices. June 2010; 4(2): 027521. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3443176
Download citation file:
657
Views
Get Email Alerts
Cited By
Related Articles
Automatic Vibrotactile Device for Interruption of Apnea in Premature Infants
J. Med. Devices (June,2010)
Self-Stimulatory Behavior Detection Using Wearable Sensors for Children With Autistic Spectrum Disorder
J. Med. Devices (June,2008)
Numerical Simulation of the Flow and Concentration Fields for Oxygen Delivery Systems
J Biomech Eng (October,2003)
The Design and Development of a New Light-Weight Portable Oxygen System
J. Med. Devices (September,2012)
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Chapters
ASTM G 63: A Milestone in a 60-Year Safety Effort
Flammability and Sensitivity of Materials in Oxygen-Enriched Atmospheres
Effect of Hydrogen and Addition of Oxygen on Fretting Fatigue Properties
International Hydrogen Conference (IHC 2012): Hydrogen-Materials Interactions
Lay-Up and Start-Up Practices
Consensus on Operating Practices for Control of Water and Steam Chemistry in Combined Cycle and Cogeneration