New approaches to improve efficacy and reduce side effects of phototherapy for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia using led and laser sources

Abstract

The article discusses the new opportunities for improving technology of phototherapy for neonatal jaundice using LED and laser sources in order to reduce the level of bilirubin in the blood of infants. It has been shown that several types of LEDs with emission spectrum corresponding to the long-wavelength slope of bilirubin absorption band can be used for therapeutic purposes. At the same time, the efficacy of phototherapy depend on not only from the position of the maximum in emission spectrum of the LEDs within bilirubin absorption band, but also on the spectral width of acting radiation. Based on the study of regularities of infl of optical radiation on the survival of animal cells in culture sensitized with bilirubin it has been concluded that the damaging eff cts are signifi ly reduced upon transition from quasi-monochromatic LED sources to lasers, emitting in the same spectral range. It allows to consider the modern semiconductor lasers emitting in blue and blue-green spectral regions as promising sources for development of phototherapeutic equipment for treating neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.