Inexpensive Bubble CPAP Increases Neonatal Survival Rates

Feb-02-14 Designed with children living in impoverished or third world countries in mind, the Bubble CPAP machine offers an inexpensive method of treatment for infants suffering from underdeveloped lungs or respiratory distress.

Conventional CPAP machines rely on computer-controlled mechanical pumps, which can be cost prohibitive in many areas. The Bubble CPAP, created by engineering students from Rice University, replaces the costly computer system with a pair of aquarium pumps and a bottle of water. The pumps provide the system’s air pressure, pumping it through a bottle of water that regulates how much pressure is delivered to the patient as the water level in the bottle changes.

Premature birth is the world’s second leading cause of infant death. In studies involving the Bubble CPAP, the survival rate for the babies was 71 percent, compared to 44 percent in the control group (which received nasal oxygen from an oxygen concentrator—a current standard in many developing countries).

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[MEDGADGET.COM]
[RICE UNIVERSITY]

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