Noninvasive Saturated Oxygen and Blood Pressure Monitor for Neonates

Difficulties in measuring blood pressure and oxygen saturation in neonates can lead to larger complications such as heart irregularities, blindness from lack of oxygen supply, and death. Invasive vital sign monitoring often utilizes indwelling arterial catheters to obtain blood pressure and oxygen saturation measurements in neonates. However, due to the invasiveness of these methods, it is not preferred for monitoring small infants. Therefore, we have developed a non-invasive device that can monitor both blood pressure and oxygen saturation. Our device optically measures the blood pressure and oxygen saturation levels through the use of light-emitting diodes, which are configured around an inflatable and optically translucent cuff that would be placed on the upper arm of a neonate. The device is able to analyze oxygen saturation and blood pressure values and produce an audible alarm when values fall outside programmed physiological ranges. Our novel monitoring device has the potential of helping to minimize long-term, and even fatal, complications for neonates.