Use of a Light Emitting Diode (LED) Array for Bilirubin Phototransformation

The newborn liver has a limited ability to process unconjugated bilirubin. Thus, infants are prone to an accumulation of unconjugated bilirubin, and can develop jaundice (hyperbilirubinemia). Recently, light emitting diodes (LEDs) which operate in the 410 - 490 nm wavelength range (peak at 475 nm) have been developed. These gallium nitride(GaN)/sapphire LEDs can produce high irradiance with very low power requirements. These LEDs emit light within the peak absorption range of bilirubin, are low cost, and have long operational lifespans. This paper demonstrates the use of an array of light emitting diodes to phototransform bilirubin more rapidly, in vitro, than either conventional or fiberoptic phototherapy. The study concludes that light emitting diodes which operate at high intensity in the blue region of the visible spectrum, may improve the overall efficacy of neonatal phototherapy, and expand the role of outpatient phototherapy for jaundice