Hyperbilirubinemia (Jaundice) affects many term and most preterm infants. When infants are exposed to blue light (410 to 460 nanometers), a photochemical reaction occurs in the skin. This reaction changes unconjugated bilirubin into more soluble metabolites which are then excreted into the bile and the urine. The effectiveness of phototherapy depends upon the irradiance delivered by the light source, and the amount of skin exposed to the light. Common light delivery systems used In hospital settings fall into two general categories: 1) banks of fluorescent or halogen lamps, and 2) fiberoptic phototherapy blankets driven by halogen bulbs. Since both techniques have significant limitations, we are proposing a garment comprised of a plurality of LED sources affixed within a flexible support material shaped so as to be worn adjacent to the skin. These light sources, when energized, emit light at the wavelength best suited to phototherapy and radiate this light toward the skin of the wearer's body. Such a light system should be more effective, yet less costly than currently available equipment. This study will document the light intensity generated by an LED system, as well as the bilirubin degradation when bilirubin is exposed in vitro to LED phototherapy.
The use of LED light sources in medicine would allow a significant cost reduction and improved efficacy in association with an effective utilization of an LED light source. Because such a system could be used both in the hospital as well as at home, it could be developed into a product for which there would be a wide market.
