Low-to-middle income countries (LMICs) have a high percentage of preterm and low birth-weight (LBW) infants. These infants need special care to reduce risk of infant mortality and underdevelopment but resources are scarce. An automatic, affordable, lightweight and user-friendly feeding device would allow clinicians in LMICs to feed LBW infants a prescribed volume while minimizing exhausted resources. The concept of the device is a sensor to measure volume delivered and to pinch tubing when the specified volume is delivered. The user interface was used to select a desired volume of fluid between 2-10 mL delivered with a percent error of less than 10% for water, milk and formula. The device was evaluated by clinicians and engineers in Ghana, who gave valuable feedback to improve the device.

• 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

• Leach, Kelsey
• Compton, Alexis
• Hauman, Melissa
• Havel, Samantha

Subject

• Health
• Community
• Innovation
• Inclusion

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• 105476
• E-project-042623-161453

Keyword

• Premature
• Feeding Device
• Low to Middle Income Countries

Advisor

• Mensah, Solomon
• Albrecht, Dirk

Year

• 2023

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• 2 - Zero Hunger
• 3 - Good Health and Well-being
• 10 - Reducing Inequality

Date created

• 2023-04-26

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Mechanical Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering

Source

• E-project-042623-161453

Rights statement

• In Copyright

Last modified

• 2023-06-21