Crigler-Najjar syndrome is a genetic disorder in which patients can’t properly process bilirubin — they get jaundice and need phototherapy — often for hours a day. Our new friends at Fresh Technology tipped us off to this cool device that frees the patients from the photo-bed — a wearable, luminous wrap:
This sleeping bag consists of two cloths of breathable material. In these cloth there are twelve Ledfoils. The photonix textiles division of Philips developed these Ledfoils, flexible disks with integrated LEDs. When Philips was looking for a medical application of this mobile lightsystem they found Philomeen Engels. The two cloths can be used as a sleeping bag but also as a suit with two trouserlegs. Because the LEDs use a lot of electricity the Ledwrap has to be plugged into a wall plug.
…The Ledwrap has not yet been tested on medical results and Engels also does not know if the LEDs produce too much heat.
Eventually, this technology might find its way into the nursery and to psoriasis clinics — but we suspect the general public will first notice it around Halloween.
More from Philips Photonix…
