Developing a transport bed or mechanism that reduces the impact of whole-body vibrations during neonatal transport while maintaining the functions of current incubators.

Design Award

• Tong Biomedical Design Award Honorable Mention

News About this Project

• Patent: pending

Project Overview

Critically ill neonates, as a result of birth defects or other disorders, require transport to neonatal intensive care units (NICU) where specialized medical professionals and equipment increase their chances of survival. Transport in ambulances or helicopters induces physiological stressors which adversely affect the health of the neonates. In particular, whole body vibration (WBV) and excessive sound levels can induce head bleeds, leading to subsequent neurodevelopmental impairment or death. Minimizing the effects of mechanical vibrations and rotational and translational motion could improve outcomes during transport. The current transport incubator has ventilators, monitoring equipment, and temperature control mechanisms, but no control of the physical stressors aforementioned. The client, Dr. Ryan McAdams, tasked the team with developing a novel transport bed to minimize these issues while maintaining the functions of current incubators.

Team Picture

Contact Information

Team Members

• Joshua Varghese - Team Leader
• Meghan Horan - Communicator
• Nicole Parmenter - BSAC
• Sydney Polzin - BWIG
• Greta Scheidt - Co-BPAG
• Joseph Byrne III - Co-BPAG

Advisor and Client

• Prof. Amit Nimunkar - Advisor
• Dr. Ryan McAdams - Client

Related Projects

• Spring 2024: Reducing whole-body vibrations on neonatal transport
• Fall 2023: Reducing whole-body vibrations on neonatal transport
• Spring 2023: Reducing whole-body vibrations on neonatal transport
• Fall 2022: Reducing whole-body vibrations on neonatal transport