Bioengineering majors designed a newborn sleep monitor for infants in neonatal intensive care units during this past academic year, reports The Daily Orange.
The device monitors newborn sleep positions, detecting whether they are on their back, side or stomach by measuring pressure points. The group finished an early stage of the design last month for their senior capstone, but there’s a chance the project will be continued in the fall by other engineering students.
“When babies are in the NICU, they are placed in a variety of positions to help with their motor development,” said Upstate Medical University associate professor Karen Klingman, who met with the students a few times to discuss project plans. She said the goal is to optimize the time that NICU infants are placed on their backs so they are used to it by the time they go home.
