An Acoustic Transducer for Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia Monitoring

The natural breakdown of blood in neonates produces a neurotoxic substance termed bilirubin. If increased bilirubin is detected early, medical treatment can mitigate the neural effects in the vast majority of cases. Total serum bilirubin is not a good predictor, but the latencies of the early auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) can serve as an index to bilirubin invasion into the brain. ABR recording is not without difficulty, principally from the use of bulky earphones. A small, light-weight, piezo ceramic transducer can add utility to the ABR processes.