A COMMUNITY-BASED INFANT INCUBATOR USING INDUCTION

HEATING TECHNOLOGY

I. Background of the Study

Every year, an estimated 130 million babies were born around the world [1]. An

approximate of 15 million babies are born preterm and an estimated 1 million die each year due

to complications of preterm birth [2]. Prematurity is defined as babies born alive before 37 weeks

of pregnancy are completed. In almost all countries with reliable data, preterm birth rates are

increasing. Globally, prematurity is the leading cause of death of infants but many of these

premature births and deaths are preventable with the use of infant incubators.

Infant incubators is being used for premature babies, this will helped developed the

babies digestive tract, immune system and even skin. This ensures the ideal environmental

conditions by allowing the temperature to be adjusted manually or auto-adjustments based on

changes in the baby’s temperature. It also protects the preemies from infection, allergies or

excessive noise or light levels that can cause harm. This research study focuses on developing a

cost and energy efficient induction incubator that give solutions to preterm birth.

II. Statement of the Problem and Objectives

Due to premature birth complications, millions of infants died every year. As the risk of

complications increases, new born babies with health complications is treated in the Neonatal

Intensive Care Unit (NICU) placing infants in incubators. Infant incubators maintain a healthy

environment for newborn babies. It provides the thermal support for infants controlling the

oxygen levels and relative humidity of the air. Providing readily controlled heating and cooling

systems is very important for the infant and choosing the best heating element is very crucial. The

problem with some heating elements of infant incubators are, they are easy to be burned due
 complication in power due to high energy consumption and other incubators do not have a

thermal fuse as a protection [7]. Also the feebleness of the material gives important factors to this

problem. In this developing country, there are lack of low-cost incubators because most

incubators used in hospitals are using high technology infant incubators that uses higher energy

consumption. According to D4Surgicals (2019) a conventional infant incubator that uses 230V

AC, 50/60Hz uses an overall wattage that range from 450Watts to 700Watts. The regions in rural

areas mostly lacks of infant incubators which allows the use of modern incubators to be limited

resulting in more newborn infants with prematurity complications to die. Therefore, the challenge

is to design a cost and energy efficient incubator that provides a good heating and cooling

systems giving a good heating element.

General Objective:

- The main objective of this research study is to develop an incubator using the process of

induction heating and to compare its functionality with the conventional incubator.

Specific Objectives:

- to design an infant induction incubator

- to compare the energy consumption of the infant induction incubator to the conventional

incubator

- to construct an induction incubator that gives solutions to preterm birth

III. Theoretical Framework

Every electrically conductive material carrying current is capable of performing induction

process. Mutual induction can be done when two coils interacting with each other having one coil

with varying current, creating a magnetic field which in turn induces a voltage in the second coil.
 Hence, it is seen that, if two or more coils are linked together by a common magnetic flux they

are said to have a property of mutual induction.

Mutual induction is the basic operating principle of transformers, motors, generators and

other electrical components that interact with each other using magnetic fields [8]. Thus,

induction heating can be done by the process of heating an electrically conductive object by

electromagnetic induction. To undergo through the process of induction heating one must use an

electromagnet and electric oscillator which passes a high frequency alternating current through

the electromagnet. The rapidly alternating magnetic field penetrates the object generating electric

currents inside the conductor called eddy currents. The most important feature of induction

heating process is that the heat mist generated inside the object itself instead of an external

source. This is an accurate, fast, efficient technique used for heating metals or any other

electrically-conductive materials.

IV. Conceptual Framework

INPUT: PROCESS: OUTPUT:

Rectifier Evaluate energy A developed low –
Electronic Oscillator consumption energy consumption
Spiral Flat Wounded induction heating
Coil Constructing the body incubator
Capacitor
Ferromagnetic Metal Designing the
Potentiometer dimension

Induction Heating
 V. Overview of the Related Literature

Research Gap

DESIGN OF A PASSIVE INCUBATOR FOR A COMMUNITY-BASED INFANT

PREMATURE INFANTS IN THE INCUBATOR USING INDUCTION HEATING
DEVELOPING WORLD
- Heating process: induction
- Non-electric - Lower energy consumption
- Heating process: passive thermoregulation - Automated temperature control
system
- Tent-like structure

DEVELOPMENT OF A MICROCONTROLLER-
BASED TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY
CONTROLLER FOR INFANT INCUBATOR
- Microcontroller based temperature and
humidity control
- Switch relay
- Power supply
- Automated temperature control

THE UTILIZATION OF PARAFFIN AND

BEESWAX AS HEAT ENERGY STORAGE IN
INFANT INCUBATOR
- Heating process: beeswax
- Microcontoller
- Temperature sensors

VI. Future Works

Tilting Incubator - This is for adjusting the angle of rest of an infant contained within an infant

incubator.

Digital thermostat - This material will display the real time temperature of the incubator.
Bibliography:

[1] Number of births - in the world, this year. (2019). Retrieved from

https://www.theworldcounts.com/counters/impact_of_pollution_on_human_health/how_many_ba

bies_are_born_a_day

[3] Dolezel, J. (2019). Premature Birth Facts and Statistics. Retrieved from

https://www.verywellfamily.com/premature-birth-facts-and-statistics-2748469

[4] Biswas, S., Mia, M., & Islam, R. (2016). Design of a Low cost Non-Electric

al Type Baby Incubator for Developing Country. International Journal of Scientific &

Engineering Research.

[5] Oyebola, B., Anih E., & Odueso,T.(2017) Development of a Microcontroller Based

Temperature and Humidity Controller for Infant Incubator. Journal of Industrial Technology.

[6] Sinaringati, S., Putra, N., & Amin, M. (2016). THE UTILIZATION OF PARAFFIN AND

BEESWAX AS HEAT ENERGY STORAGE IN INFANT INCUBATOR. ARPN Journal of

Engineering and Applied Sciences.

[7] Infant Incubators. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.frankshospitalworkshop.com/equipment/infant_incubators_equipment.html?fbclid=I

wAR35fW_s-oMS7QX-zU2cJJATiMFU7xxwKEyLEkHr5kAdLR9FDVlA2H77mQ

[8] Mehta, M. (2019). Mutual Induction: Definition, Formula & Other Information. Retrieved

from https://www.toppr.com/bytes/mutual-induction/amp/