Respironics Inc. and Children’s Medical Ventures, a subsidiary of Respironics, Inc., announced the addition of the BiliTx Phototherapy System to its line of jaundice management products for use by clinicians in the NICU, PICU, pediatrics and nursery or by parents through home care providers.
The BiliTx (abbreviation for bilirubin treatment) Phototherapy System features a highly compact design, multiple therapy configurations and a blue LED photon engine light source that meets the American Association of Pediatrics’ phototherapy guidelines.
In the clinical setting, the BiliTx Phototherapy System can be configured as an overhead spotlight or connected to a fiber-optic panel in any hospital environment such as a crib or incubator. When used as an overhead spotlight, the unit’s energy-efficient blue LED light source does not transfer heat to the baby unlike conventional halogen phototherapy devices that may require cooling fans and constant temperature regulation.
The BiliTx Phototherapy System was developed to eliminate the need for bulb replacement and reduce operating and maintenance costs. BiliTx’s blue LED photon engine light source can last up to 50,000 hours and carries an industry-leading warranty of 20,000 hours. By comparison, average halogen bulbs last about 285 hours and cost $33 per bulb.
Hyperbilirubinemia (commonly known as jaundice) occurs when the chemical bilirubin builds up in the bloodstream. Most instances of infant jaundice are harmless. But bilirubin can reach dangerous levels and lead to kernicterus, a form of brain damage. The most prevalent form of jaundice treatment is the use of phototherapy where a specific frequency of blue light helps break down bilirubin in the skin.
May 2008