Design of a Novel Respiratory Device for Neonatal Patients

Respiratory complications are among the main conditions treated in neonatal intensive care units, with oxygen therapy being a technique frequently used in their treatment. In spite of their wide usage, the devices currently in use are not sufficiently adapted to the specific needs of neonatal patients, which poses a number of issues (septum injuries, ulcers, etc.) and hinders healthcare workers’ care tasks. In light of these problems, starting from the design proposed by some of the authors on a previous work, this paper presents the design of a new interface for supplying oxygen to neonatal patients. As the final result of this work, a viable virtual model that better meets the specific needs of these target users has been obtained. Among the different benefits resulting from the designed device, the prevention of skin sores must be highlighted, both protecting the septum (there is no contact with it), as well as other areas where it is in contact with the skin, due to the use of hydrocolloid patches, which also ensure a correct fixing of the device. Additionally, it allows access to the patient’s mouth to medical and healthcare staff, incorporating the possibility of administering nebulized pharmaceuticals through it.