Problem being addressed
Twelve percent of newborns need to receive immediate treatment for severe jaundice. This problem can be solved through the use of phototherapy treatment, but in low-income settings existing phototherapy options are often ineffective, costly, difficult to maintain, and improperly used.
Detailed description of the solution
Comet is a low-cost, high-performance, and compact jaundice treatment device intended to be used in rural clinics or as a backup for urban hospitals. This device is a cheaper, smaller and more energy-efficient device than Brilliance, another phototherapy device developed by the same design team. Comet utilizes high intensity light-emitting diodes (LEDs) which provide the intense blue light to treat jaundice. Comet has a lifespan of 3-5 years, requires minimal maintenance, and is designed to retail at less than $150.
Designed by
- Designed by:Design Revolution: Design for the Other Ninety Percent
- Manufacturer (if different):
- Manufacturer location: Palo Alto, CA, USA
When and where it was tested/implemented
India and Nepal
Funding Source
Finalist in Saving Lives at Birth Competition One Heart World-Wide
References
Peer-reviewed publication
Other internally generated reports
Hong, M. (2013, October 07). [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://blog.d-rev.org/
Externally generated reports
Cheaper, greener blue light: A better phototherapy device for jaundice treatment. Retrieved from https://www.engineeringforchange.org/news/2011/02/01/cheaper_greener_blue_light_a_better_phototherapy_device_for_jaundice_treatment.html
Comet: Effective, compact, and low-cost phototherapy to treat newborn jaundice. (August 8, 2012). Retrieved from http://savinglivesatbirth.net/summaries/163