A simple and accurate method for estimating bilirubin from blood

The presence of large number of modern methods (devices and papers published discussing issues and challenges with existing methodology) for the determination of bilirubin in the blood (plasma) indicates the difficulties of estimation and suggests the need for simpler yet reliable method. Also hospital turn-around time between obtaining a blood sample and receiving results from a central clinical laboratory often slows the pediatrician's management of healthy and hyperbilirubinemic neonates and results in delaying the discharge of mother and child from the hospital thereby increasing the healthcare cost. Furthermore, the most frequent cause of hospital readmissions for the neonates is due to rebound jaundice caused due to inefficient assessment of the hyperbilirubinemia. In view of the importance of bilirubin levels in the diagnosis and treatment of neonatal jaundice, a portable bilirubinometer with accuracy similar to clinical method of evaluation is needed. This paper provides the outcome of the research groundwork (literature & product survey) and technical output (system design, experimental setup, results) in realizing a point-of-care bilirubinometer based on the serum analysis.