Preterm infants require warm and humid air
During the first seconds of life all a preterm baby needs are a few “puffs” ( mechanical ventilation ) to be reminded to start breathing. But mechanical ventilation pushes cold and dry air into their lungs increasing the risk to develop chronic lung injuries and even brain damage.
Project duration: 4 months / 2013
“You can barely see that the baby is breathing when it’s born because of the small air volumes, so you might ventilate even though you know you shouldn’t. You might wait for a minute but then you start to panic”.
- Annika Nyholm, care developer at Umeå University hospital -
Preterm infants are immediately transfered to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) 15% are transfered from remote hospitals
CPAP time-line created during design research.
Golden minute situational map
We wanted to promote the usage of the CPAP treatment on the first minutes of life by creating a seamless transition between CPAP and mechanical ventilation so the infant could get the CPAP air quality from the very beginning and being assisted with mechanical ventilation only when it is needed.
Bringing ideas to tangible mock-ups helped us to understand the CPAP machine, the procedure and co-create together with doctors, nurses and medical engineers. Their feedback made it possible to gain insights on the big picture and small details for CPAP. The idea of having an external display close by the patient came as the CPAP monitor could often be covered by other nurses and doctors during resuscitation.
Simple foam models, 3D-printing, after effects and a lot of sewing and stitching helped us explore and communicate our ideas
PIRA
( Preterm Infant Respiratory Aid )
Is a portable resuscitation system that supports premature infant's first minutes of life and can be used by a single person even at remote areas.
Monitor + Puff delivers a real time heart rate lecture of the patient and an estimate blood oxygen saturation. Controls the peep ( nominal ) and maximum pressure of the CPAP ventilator. Incorporates a PUFF button to perform a more effective and precise dosage using CPAP quality air. It can also be detached / attached to assist the patient in case of a secondary abnea.
PIRA is meant to be a kit accesible even at remote hospitals
Getting ready before the patient is transferred from the delivery room is made easy.
Assembling the headband components saves precious seconds during the application
PIRA provides a good sealing for the airflow and is quick and easy to apply on the infant during the “golden minutes“ where every second matters.
With real-time information of heart-rate from the heart-light, mechanical ventilation usage can be minimized and only used when necessary.
Adjust - Switch - Puff
Losing body heat is a problem for premature infants.
The PIRA kit includes a blanket that can be used an transportation bag. The cap can also be used during the treatment since a lot of the body heat escapes from the top of the head. Once the infant is stabilized, this can be transferred to NICU or another hospital if necessary.