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Babalung Neonatal Monitor Could Save Preemies in Developing Countries

April 16th, 2012 Scott Jung Critical Care, Pediatrics


Five bioengineering students from Rice University have designed a device that could potentially save six million lives. This number is half of the 12 million babies born prematurely in developing countries who experience episodes of apnea. Oftentimes, a gentle nudge or tap on the foot prompts the newborn to breathe again, but in developing countries where clinics are often understaffed to care for all the infants, even this simple act may come when it’s too late.

The device is called Babalung, and it consists of a small electronic microcontroller connected to an adjustable strap with a stretch sensor. Babalung features two lines of defense: the first uses the stretch sensor wrapped around the infant’s chest to monitor breathing. If 20 seconds goes by without the stretch sensor expanding or contracting, the microcontroller turns on a vibrating motor to prompt the infant to take a breath. The second line of defense occurs five seconds later if the infant has not resumed breathing; a flashing bike light raised above the crib will alert the nurse to give immediate medical attention. The infant’s respiratory data can also be sent via Bluetooth to a smartphone or computer for a physician to analyze if necessary.

The Rice students (called Team BreathAlert) focused heavily on designing Babalung specifically for developing countries, which is reflected in the device’s simple and low-tech, but effective design. Babalung is portable and battery-powered, unlike expensive and power-intensive neonatal apnea monitors commonly found in the U.S. and other developed countries. With a cost of less than $25, it’s a device that hopefully can be used all over the world.

Take a look at this video explaining how Babalung works:

News article from Rice University: Babalung gets babies breathing again…

More info on Babalung and Team BreathAlert…

Scott Jung

Scott Jung (@scottjung) is a Silicon Valley-based medical and health technology reporter and advocate, with a focus on wearables, telemedicine, and health technology in emerging countries. He has represented Medgadget at CES and Digital Health Summit, TEDMED, Stanford Medicine X, and SXSW. Always on the lookout for innovative medical technology worldwide, Scott has been invited to visit Colombia, Poland, and many other countries around the world to share how medtech is enriching the lives of its people. Scott holds a B.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Southern California and an M.S. degree in Medical Product Development Management from San José State University. Scott is always looking for the next big thing in medical technology and digital health. Interested in helping him transform lives? Get in touch with him at http://scottju.ng

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