Automated Humidity Control System for Neonatal Incubator

Abstract

Premature neonates are nursed in closed incubators to prevent transcutaneous water loss, dehydration, and excessive body cooling. These issues have serious risks that need to be eliminated by controlling the air’s relative humidity (RH) in the incubator. This paper aims to implement a closed-loop control system that maintains desired RH levels inside the incubator with an acceptable settling time and percentage. Designing the prototype is actuator-process-sensor based, and the implementation was in two main phases. First, building the incubator, which involved assembling the incubation space and the humidifier using a readily available ultrasonic piezoelectric transducer. Second, designing the control algorithm which is based on the ON/OFF algorithm with four levels of ON Humidification power. Finally, the results taken are the control system responses to a step input of desired values of relative humidity based on clinical guidance. Response results showed a maximum steady-state error of 2.5 and a minimum settling time of 0.8 min. The results indicate that the control system is fast and stable which meets the desired requirements. The designed control system is beneficial in reducing power usage and creating a safe humidification method for the infant.