Little Sparrows Technologies LLC — Department of Health and Human Services SBIR Phase II: NICHD

Description

Approximately of all newborns worldwide risk permanent neurotoxic brain injury due severe neonatal jaundice SNJ This condition generally occurring in the first two weeks of life is almost always cured with high intensity blue light phototherapy In the United States most phototherapy is delivered in a neonatal intensive care unit NICU because effective high intensity devices have engineering features limiting use to that environment This current care practice has the undesirable consequence of separating mothers and babies during a developmentally vulnerable time while breastfeeding is being established Approximately otherwise well newborns require phototherapy each year The annual estimated health care costs for treating SNJ in hospitals are in excess of $ million Little Sparrows Technologies has developed the Bili Hut a novel portable high intensity radial array phototherapy device for use at the motherandapos s bedside in the hospital or in the home Current phototherapy devices sufficiently portable for home use do not deliver adequate phototherapy to meet the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for high intensity phototherapy The Bili Hut meets current phototherapy standards enables treatment in a motherandapos s post partum room during birth hospital admission and eliminates the need for hospital readmissions for otherwise well jaundiced babies who can be treated at home This will eliminate the stress of separation to the mother baby pair during treatment at a substantially reduced cost We have achieved our Phase I goal of creation of a next stage Bili Hut that demonstrates efficacy superior to a market leading NICU phototherapy device through increased skin exposure to therapeutic light Our Phase II aims will develop capabilities of thermostability and improved infant eye shielding from noxious blue light exposure through an innovative comprehensive device design Innovations in this project include the radial Bili Hut light array with reflective interior providing superior light distribution the first environmental temperature modulated high intensity phototherapy device the first high intensity phototherapy device to eliminate the need for infant eye protection and the first mother baby friendly high intensity device that will enable use in the home Severe neonatal jaundice is one of the most common conditions resulting in readmissions of newborns Current care practice requires treatment in a NICU to ensure thermostability while providing high intensity therapy This causes stress to families and healthcare costs of andgt $ K annually When fully realized the Bili Hut will address this public health concern by delivery of portable high intensity therapy with thermoregulation capability suitable for use at home