Open Source Neonatal Light Therapy Device

Publication data
Type	Paper
Title	Open Source Neonatal Light Therapy Device
Description
Authors
Year	2025
Language	English (en)
Location	London, Ontario, Canada
License	CC-BY-SA-4.0
Cite as	Joshua Givans, Augustine Waswa, Janiffer Nyambura, Gidraf Njoroge, Gordon Macharia, June Madete, and Joshua M. Pearce. 2025. "An Open-Source Neonatal Phototherapy Device" Technologies 13, no. 11: 499. https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies13110499 Academia OA preprint

Project data
Type
Authors
Location	London, ON
Status	Designed Modelled Prototyped Verified
Verified by	FAST
Years
Uses	3D Printing
Links	https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies13110499
OKH Manifest	Download

Severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (SNH) (jaundice) is responsible for over 114,000 preventable neonatal deaths annually, as the technology that can treat the condition is cost-prohibitive for low- and middle-income countries. In this study an open-source neonatal phototherapy device (NPTD) to treat SNH was designed, built, and validated against the phototherapy technical specifications set by the American Academy of Pediatrics and UNICEF. The open-source device can be built for a tenth of the cost of the least expensive proprietary one on the market, with treatment metrics equivalent to or exceeding commercial devices available in developed nations. This device, whose material costs are USD 93.00, was shown to deliver an irradiance up to 80 µW/cm²/nm, within the acceptable wavelength range of 420–500 nm. It was further demonstrated that the unit could deliver a uniform distribution of irradiance (34.5 ± 4.3 µW/cm²/nm) over a surface area exceeding 3200 cm². These findings show that the open-source NPTD is capable of delivering accurate, consistent, and reliable irradiances for the management of SNH. By releasing full documentation in an open-source manner, the device may be broadly used to ensure affordable and consistent low-cost means of improving the quality of care for SNH.

Source code: https://osf.io/93gnj/
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

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
SDG	SDG03 Good health and well-being, SDG08 Decent work and economic growth
Authors	Joshua Givans, Augustine Waswa, Janiffer Nyambura, Gidraf Njoroge, Gordon Macharia, 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	October 31, 2025 by Joshua M. Pearce
Last edit	April 25, 2026 by StandardWikitext bot
Cite as	Joshua Givans, Augustine Waswa, Janiffer Nyambura, Gidraf Njoroge, Gordon Macharia, June Madete, and User:J.M.Pearce (2025–2026). "Open Source Neonatal Light Therapy Device". Appropedia. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
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Keywords

See also