Moderate to severe premature infants often lack the mature neurophysiological function for tasks such as feeding (dysphagia) or breathing and consequently require systems to fulfill their needs. Premature infants born in low to middle income countries (LMICs) are at a greater disadvantage because these systems are typically manual, require significant healthcare oversight, and there are often not enough hands to do so. The focus of this project was to help healthcare facilities in LMICs provide nutrition to infants with less oversight. The project aimed to design a semi-automatic feeding system to deliver nutrition and medication to premature infants in LMICs. The final design provides nutrition through a gravity feeding system with a warming chamber, flow rate sensor, actuated flow control, and LCD display. The tests conducted on the final prototype determined that the system can accurately measure within 1.5-3.5% of the actual volume and dispense volume with an average error of 5.23%. The team concluded that the design met objectives and could enhance infant feeding outcomes in LMICs.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Hanley, Joelle M.
• Webster, Julie C.
• Deshpande, Akansha A.

Subject

• Health
• Well-Being
• Innovation

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• 22366
• E-project-050521-173907

Keyword

• Global Health
• Neonatal Techology
• Gravity Feeding

Advisor

• Radhakrishnan, Pradeep
• Mensah, Solomon
• Konrad, Renata
• Albrecht, Dirk

Year

• 2021

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• 3 - Good Health and Well-being
• 10 - Reducing Inequality

Date created

• 2021-05-05

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Mechanical Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright

Last modified

• 2022-05-16