title: Prototype hybrid systems for neonatal warming: in vitro comparisons to standard of care devices.
abstract: Preterm infants lack necessary thermoregulation. An ideal incubator should maintain a uniform and constant thermal environment. We compared the effectiveness of a supplemental heating blanket to improve the heating characteristics of two different incubator warming devices using assessment of their respective function alone as controls. Device A and device B, with and without a heating blanket (Harvard Apparatus), were instrumented with a distribution matrix of multiple temperature (n = 11) and humidity probes. These data were serially measured during warm up to 37.5 °C and through a series of open-door perturbations. The time constant, temperature variation, and change in air temperature were calculated. Data were analyzed for significance by 2-factor ANOVA for each respective incubator either turned on or off with either the heating blanket turned on or off. Device A warms faster (33.87% ; p < 0.05) than device B, but has a greater (37.27% ; p < 0.05) temperature variation during warmup. The heating blanket enhances the thermal response of device A during warmup, but does not alter those of device B. With the side door open, device A shows a smaller (-16.5% ; p < 0.05) temperature variation than device B; the heating blanket attenuates the temperature change in both devices. These results demonstrate that the use of a supplemental heating blanket, as well as device-related differences, may impact clinical control of a thermal environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Terrence L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Hubert
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lindemann
authors.forename: Jichuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Agnew
authors.forename: Thomas H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Shaffer
authors.forename: Marla R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Wolfson
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D006361:Heating / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007186:Incubators, Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D013696:Temperature