Clinical Research Directory

Evaluation of Bili-ruler, a Low-cost, Plastic Icterometer for Community-based Screening of Jaundice in Newborns

Newborn jaundice, or accumulation of bilirubin molecules in blood, affects 60-80% of newborns and, in severe cases, places newborns at risk of brain damage and death. Universal screening of all newborn for jaundice ensures that at-risk newborns are identified and treated early. The bili-ruler is a low-cost ($10) plastic icterometer which could enable accurate and timely identification of jaundice in diverse settings. The objective of this study is to evaluate the ability of bili-ruler to identify jaundiced newborns in their first week of life, compared to traditional methods of jaundice screening: visual inspection and transcutaneous bilirubinometry.

Wireless Irradiance SEnsors During Neonatal Phototherapy

Bilisensors are devices designed to measure the cumulative dose of phototherapy administered to neonates undergoing treatment for hyperbilirubinemia. The current standard of care typically involves intermittent spot measurements once a day using a handheld dosimeter that may give variable estimations. In contrast, bilisensors may enable continuous, real-time monitoring of light exposure, helping to know the total phototherapy dose received by the infant.

The Effectiveness of Probiotics in Neonatal Jaundice

Hyperbilirubinemia is a prevalent problem in babies that necessitates medical attention. Probiotic administration as adjuvant therapy may have a positive impact on the pathological neonatal unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia.

Validation of a Jaundice Diagnostic and Monitoring Device for Low-Resource Settings

A team of researchers at Rice University in partnership with clinicians at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital created BiliSpec, a low-cost battery-powered reader designed to immediately quantify serum bilirubin levels from a small drop of whole blood applied to a lateral flow strip. The simple and affordable BiliSpec system offers a faster and more cost-effective means to detect neonatal jaundice in under-resourced clinics and determine when phototherapy is needed. The goal of this study is to validate the accuracy of the BiliSpec device in measuring bilirubin levels in neonates relative to the laboratory spectrophotometric bilirubinometer and transcutaneous bilirubinometer measurements.