{"id":15184,"date":"2015-05-12T10:55:54","date_gmt":"2015-05-12T16:55:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.salud.carlosslim.org\/english2\/?p=15184"},"modified":"2015-05-12T12:33:54","modified_gmt":"2015-05-12T18:33:54","slug":"scientist-developed-a-mathematical-model-to-ensure-stable-temperature-of-newborns-in-incubators","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.salud.carlosslim.org\/english2\/scientist-developed-a-mathematical-model-to-ensure-stable-temperature-of-newborns-in-incubators\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientist Developed a Mathematical Model to Ensure Stable Temperature of Newborns in Incubators"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ModeloBabies transferred to incubators that have a stable thermal environment show higher rates of survival<\/strong>. Researchers at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), in collaboration with other institutions, have designed an algorithm that controls and stabilizes the temperature based on environmental and newborn parameters<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Premature or low birth weight babies lose and gain heat easily<\/strong>. However, the vital functions of a newborn treated in an incubator depend on stabilizing the baby\u2019s body temperature in a range known as minimum metabolic rate, said Angel M. Ramos, researcher at UCM\u2019s Department of Applied Mathematics.<\/p>\n

To ensure that the temperature remains stable in this range, Ramos and his team of scientists have developed a mathematical model for babies\u2019 heat exchange and energy balance processes in an incubator during their first hours of life<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The goal is increasing the newborn\u2019s weight and rate of survival. “The algorithm solves a control problem, in which it is proposed how to optimally vary air temperature inside the device<\/em>,” says the scientist.<\/p>\n

This is achieved by regulating the inflow of hot humid air, in order that the baby reaches minimum metabolic cost body temperature in the shortest possible time.<\/p>\n

The heat exchange heat in the body of the newborn is subject to external influences<\/strong> (in this case, the incubator environment) and internal influence<\/strong>s (regarding his body organs). “The brain, kidneys and liver produce more heat, which the body distributes through the bloodstream<\/em>,” says Andrew Fraguela, researcher at the Autonomous University of Puebla (Mexico) and co-author of the study.<\/p>\n

As for external influences, heat transfer occurs when the neonate gets in contact with the device\u2019s mattress, with the air circulating inside and humidity, and also will depend on how the incubator\u2019s walls are built (double, single or radiant).<\/p>\n

Given these parameters<\/strong>, the algorithm incorporates the main physiological and physical mechanisms of heat generation and exchange as basal metabolism<\/strong>, heat transfer product of blood circulation<\/strong>, respiratory losses<\/strong>, extraglandular losses and processes of heat exchange with the environment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The model, published in the journal Computers in Biology and Medicine<\/em>, can be applied to infants in different stages of treatment in an incubator until their discharge.<\/p>\n

“Our proposal provides an algorithm to change the temperature inside the device continuously, according to the temperature registered in the newborn, so that it is maintained in thermal stability ranges<\/em>,” says co-author Francisca D. Matlalcuatzi, a researcher at Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAM) \u2013 Campus Azcapotzalco.<\/p>\n

The group of scientists is now working with engineers to implement the mathematical model on real devices and automate the process, designing specific sensors.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Source:<\/strong>\u00a0 Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAM)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Babies transferred to incubators that have a stable thermal environment show higher rates of survival. Researchers at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), in collaboration with other institutions, have designed an algorithm that controls and stabilizes the temperature based on environmental and newborn parameters. Premature or low birth weight babies lose and gain heat easily. …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15186,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[15,55],"class_list":["post-15184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-actualidad-en-la-salud","tag-casalud","tag-tecnologicas","cat-3-id","has_thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.salud.carlosslim.org\/english2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.salud.carlosslim.org\/english2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.salud.carlosslim.org\/english2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.salud.carlosslim.org\/english2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.salud.carlosslim.org\/english2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15184"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.salud.carlosslim.org\/english2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15184\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15187,"href":"http:\/\/www.salud.carlosslim.org\/english2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15184\/revisions\/15187"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.salud.carlosslim.org\/english2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.salud.carlosslim.org\/english2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.salud.carlosslim.org\/english2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.salud.carlosslim.org\/english2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}