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Session: Poster session II
Session starts: Thursday 24 January, 16:00

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Ronald van Gils (Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences)
Onno Helder ()
Harry Broeders ()
Linda Wauben ()

Abstract:
Introduction Accurate length monitoring of preterm infants is, besides bodyweight and head circumference, essential to assess the effect of personalized food intake, and is crucial for optimal neuro-developmental outcome. Currently used measuring instruments (a measuring tape or slide caliper) in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for the weekly body length measurement disturb the infant and are time consuming and unhygienic. Our aim is to develop an accurate and more hygienic length measuring instrument that causes less stress to preterm infants. Methods Through co-design with healthcare professionals of the NICU in the Erasmus MC – Sophia Children’s Hospital, multi-disciplinary students incrementally developed an instrument that measures an infant’s length inside an incubator without physical contact between the instrument and infant. The instrument was used and informally evaluated in the NICU by seven healthcare professionals. Results A length measuring instrument for neonatal incubators was developed that can measure infant’s body length from outside the incubator. The instrument projects two thin light lines parallel to each other into the incubator. One light line is positioned at the head end of the body. The other line is moved towards the feet exterior end of the body. A numeral display shows the distance between the projected lines that corresponds with the body length of the infant. NICU healthcare professionals that used the instrument found it less disturbing for the infant, more hygienic and easy to use compared to the currently used instrument. Conclusions We developed a new principle for measuring a preterm infant’s body length inside an incubator that is more hygienic, less disturbing for the infant and easy to use for healthcare professionals. In following studies, we aim to eliminate the light lines (that can disturb infant) by using two augmented reality images with camera centre lines. Furthermore, we aim to replace 2D with 3D growth monitoring by developing accurate 3D scan technology suited to scan an infant inside an incubator; as a first step, we developed a 3D laser triangulation scanner that generates a 3D height profile of a baby-doll and automatically derives the body length with an accuracy of 5 mm.