Infant Incubator Monitoring Device: Temperature and Humidity Sensors
Format
SOECS Senior Project Demonstration
Faculty Mentor Name
James Eason
Faculty Mentor Department
School of Engineering and Computer Science
Abstract/Artist Statement
Preterm birth refers to the birth of an infant whose organs have not yet matured completely to allow for postnatal survival. Infants that are born prematurely run the risk of many short or long term complications, therefore it is essential that certain precautions are taken. Incubators help to reduce the risk of complications and ensure that the infant is placed in a controlled environment. In developing countries most incubators are donated in a condition that is not up to standard specifications. Therefore, many of the incubators provided to developing countries are not reliable in controlling temperature and humidity inside the incubator. This produces a risk of overheating and dehydration to the infant. In order to combat this problem we have designed monitoring sensors that detect the temperature and humidity inside the incubator. The temperature sensor incorporated in this device detects when temperature is out of the range of 34- 38 degrees Celsius sending off a red LED light and an alarm to notify the users. The humidity sensor integrated into the monitoring device will trip a red LED light if the relative humidity drops below 30% inside the incubator. With the Infant Monitoring System developing countries will be able to have a second validation test for their incubators, therefore limiting deaths due to malfunctioning incubators.
Location
School of Engineering & Computer Science
Start Date
30-4-2011 2:00 PM
End Date
30-4-2011 3:30 PM
Infant Incubator Monitoring Device: Temperature and Humidity Sensors
School of Engineering & Computer Science
Preterm birth refers to the birth of an infant whose organs have not yet matured completely to allow for postnatal survival. Infants that are born prematurely run the risk of many short or long term complications, therefore it is essential that certain precautions are taken. Incubators help to reduce the risk of complications and ensure that the infant is placed in a controlled environment. In developing countries most incubators are donated in a condition that is not up to standard specifications. Therefore, many of the incubators provided to developing countries are not reliable in controlling temperature and humidity inside the incubator. This produces a risk of overheating and dehydration to the infant. In order to combat this problem we have designed monitoring sensors that detect the temperature and humidity inside the incubator. The temperature sensor incorporated in this device detects when temperature is out of the range of 34- 38 degrees Celsius sending off a red LED light and an alarm to notify the users. The humidity sensor integrated into the monitoring device will trip a red LED light if the relative humidity drops below 30% inside the incubator. With the Infant Monitoring System developing countries will be able to have a second validation test for their incubators, therefore limiting deaths due to malfunctioning incubators.