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Northeastern Innovators for Global Health (IGH)

Design Team Engineer | September 2024 - Present | Boston, MA

​​Overview: Northeastern Innovators for Global Heath (IGH) is a a student organization at Northeastern University that partners with hospitals in Ghana to design, develop, and deliver low-cost medical devices. Over the past two years, I have been apart of the Infant Phototherapy Design Team, and am currently the light fixture lead for the project.

2024-2025 Academic Year

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Background: 

  • The goal of this project was to design and deliver a low-cost infant phototherapy system for Greater Accra Regional Hospital to treat neonatal jaundice. 

  • Neonatal jaundice is a common condition in newborns where bilirubin (a yellow pigment produced when red blood cells break down) builds up in the blood, causing yellowing of the skin and eyes.  

  • Phototherapy treats jaundice by using blue light (typically around ~450 nm) to convert bilirubin into forms the baby’s body can eliminate more easily through urine and stool.

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Development:

My role on the team was to support development of the light fixture subsystem, including:

  • Designed and 3D-printed an enclosure for the LED light fixture

  • Developed an effective LED light array, including irradiance testing to verify therapeutic performance

  • Built an adjustable stand to allow vertical positioning of the fixture for different incubator heights​​​​

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This is a SolidWorks design of the phototherapy light enclosure. The enclosure is designed to mount to an aluminum pipe, house the LED array and control components, and include space for an acrylic protective LED cover.

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This is an initial prototype of the light fixture used to perform irradiance testing. Irradiance testing was conducted as part of design validation to confirm the LEDs produced the appropriate wavelength and optical output power required for effective phototherapy.

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This is the final prototype produced in Boston. For the version manufactured in Ghana, an aluminum pole was used for the adjustable stand; however, due to shipping constraints, the tubing was not purchased in Boston and was instead sourced locally in Ghana.

Delivery and Design Feedback:

In March 2025, a group of IGH members traveled to Ghana to deliver our prototype (note: I was not on this trip). After meeting with clinical staff and observing use conditions, the team returned with the following user feedback:

  • Light direction should be more focused (reduced light leakage)

  • Improve waterproofing to increase device longevity

  • Use longer-lasting, more durable materials

  • Provide more complete documentation to meet Ghana FDA regulations

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2025-2026 Academic Year

 

For the current academic year, we have decided to improve upon our Infant Phototherapy System by incorporating the technical feedback received from clinicians. Additionally, this design will also be brought to other partner hospitals in Ghana. Below is a list of some of our new improvements/design requirements.

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Design Requirements and Improvements

  • Improve light focusing by directing light toward the infant treatment area and reduce leakage to surrounding incubators.

  • Enhanced user controls by allowing users to adjust power output (irradiance) and treatment duration.

  • Use longer-lasting materials, specifically replace acrylic shielding with glass, eliminate PVC, and reduce reliance on 3D-printed parts where possible.

  • Provide a user handbook/training guide with clear clinical guidance for recommended fixture height, power output, and treatment duration.

  • Improve documentation & compliance by incorporating test documentation aligned with Ghana FDA regulatory expectations to support safe deployment.

  • Include safety protections by adding electrical and thermal safeguards and emergency power-off

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Development:

For the 2025–2026 academic year, I am leading the LED light fixture sub-system. My responsibilities include:

  • Onboarding and mentoring new members by teaching system functionality and engineering documentation practices.

  • Designing and iterating subsystem components in SolidWorks, including enclosure and mounting hardware designs for manufacturability and durability.

  • Further developing the LED light array, including conducting irradiance testing to verify therapeutic performance across different fixture heights, power outputs, and treatment durations.

  • Building an adjustable stand to enable vertical positioning for varying incubator heights using sustainable, accessible materials.

  • Supporting grant applications and project funding, including receiving the Northeastern Honors Grant ($2,000) to help fund development.

Currently, we are working on an improved Infant Phototherapy Design that we plan to bring to Ghana in March 2026. I will continue to update this page as we make progress!

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