Open-Source Light Calibration System for Hyperbilirubinemia Phototherapy Treatments

Publication data
Type	Paper
Title	Open-Source Light Calibration System for Hyperbilirubinemia Phototherapy Treatments
Description
Authors
Year	2026
Language	English (en)
Location	London, Ontario, Canada
License	CC-BY-SA-4.0
Cite as	Joshua T.M. Givans, Augustine Waswa, June Madete, and Joshua M. Pearce. Open-Source Light Calibration System for Hyperbilirubinemia Phototherapy Treatments. Exploration of Digital Health Technologies 2026;4:101184. https://doi.org/10.37349/edht.2026.101184 Academia OA MedRXiv preprint

Project data
Type
Authors
Location	London, ON
Status	Designed Modelled Prototyped Verified
Verified by	FAST
Years
Uses	3D Printing
Links	https://doi.org/10.37349/edht.2026.101184
OKH Manifest	Download

Aim: Neonatal jaundice or neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is a common medical condition impacting newborns and pathological jaundice if left untreated, leads to neurological encephalopathy and/or death. The majority of pathological jaundice cases occur in low and middle- income countries (LMIC). Phototherapy has been determined to be the safest and most effective treatment for jaundice. Although inexpensive light-emitting diodes are available on the market, commercial phototherapy devices are expensive (~US$2,000), which creates a barrier to access for these devices in LMIC. Efforts to construct cost-effective phototherapy units have been implemented in the past, but need a method to validate the intensity and wavelength of light received by the infant at a distance away from the source.

Methods: To enable low-cost phototherapy units to be used clinically, this study provides an open-source, low-cost, distributed manufacturing approach to create a light sensor to calibrate phototherapy units. This instrument is a necessary component of any open-source phototherapy treatment used in a clinical setting. This novel instrument was validated by comparing its irradiance and wavelength reading to the commercially calibrated Ocean Insight UV-VIS spectrometer under varying lighting conditions, including that of the existing Datex-Ohmeda Giraffe Spot PT Lite phototherapy equipment accessible through Victoria Children’s Hospital Neonatal Care Ward in London, Ontario, and Kiambu County Hospital in Kenya.

Results: The results of this study have demonstrated that for under US$150, a phototherapy calibration device can be constructed capable of measuring up to 200 uW/cm²/nm with an accuracy of 98.6% and detect the peak wavelength within ±12.5 nm.

Conclusions: It can be concluded that 3D printed open-source irradiance meters are a viable option for calibrating phototherapy units in LMIC to treat hyperbilirubinemia.

Source code: https://osf.io/7dqp6/,
Impact Project

Keywords

light therapy, LED, severe neonatal jaundice, jaundice, hyperbilirubinemia, phototherapy, appropriate medical, 3D printing, additive manufacturing, open hardware, open-source hardware, frugal innovation, frugal biomed, biomedical engineering, light sensor, open hardware

Page data
Part of	FAST Completed
Keywords	light therapy, LED, severe neonatal jaundice, jaundice, hyperbilirubinemia, phototherapy, appropriate medical, 3D printing, additive manufacturing, open hardware, open-source hardware, frugal innovation, frugal biomed, biomedical engineering, light sensor, open hardware
SDG	SDG03 Good health and well-being, SDG08 Decent work and economic growth
Authors	Joshua Givans, Augustine Waswa, June Madete, and User:J.M.Pearce
License	CC-BY-SA-4.0
Organizations	Free Appropriate Sustainable Technology, Western
Language	English (en)
Related	0 subpages, 27 pages link here
Views	5 page views (analytics)
Created	February 10, 2026 by Joshua M. Pearce
Last edit	April 25, 2026 by Joshua M. Pearce
Cite as	Joshua Givans, Augustine Waswa, June Madete, and User:J.M.Pearce (2026). "Open-Source Light Calibration System for Hyperbilirubinemia Phototherapy Treatments". Appropedia. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
API queries	basic, semantic, html, files, more

Keywords

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