Improved transport incubator temperature control with insulating thermal cover

Area of Science:

• Neonatal care
• Biomedical engineering
• Thermal regulation

Background:

• Infant transport incubators are susceptible to significant radiant heat loss during interfacility transfers, especially in cold environments.
• This heat loss can lead to cold stress, posing a risk to infant well-being.
• External thermal insulation is recommended to mitigate heat loss in cold transport conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively assess the effectiveness of a commercially available thermal insulating cover in reducing heat loss from a transport incubator.
• To compare the rate of heat loss in a controlled, subzero environment with and without external insulation.

Main Methods:

• A laboratory experiment was conducted using a commercial freezer to simulate subzero temperatures.
• Heat loss rates were measured from a transport incubator, both with and without a thermal insulating cover.
• Incubator and freezer air temperatures, heater activity, and battery power output were monitored. Statistical analysis used Pearson's r.

Main Results:

• The rate of heat loss was significantly slower when the incubator was protected by the thermal insulating cover (r² = 0.52).
• The incubator's heat loss rate was virtually identical whether using the internal or an external battery, confirming battery performance did not skew results (r² = 0.96).

Conclusions:

• External thermal insulation effectively reduces radiant heat loss from transport incubators in laboratory settings.
• This finding suggests that using thermal insulation during interfacility transports can clinically benefit infants at risk of cold stress.