Acoustics as a Metric of Airway Pressure in Premature Infants Using Bubble Continuous Positive Airway Pressure

The delivered CPAP pressure will be measured using an ultra-thin, multi-use catheter pressure transducer inserted into a port in the expiratory limb of the bubble CPAP circuit.

The bubble sound of the water tank will be collected with a standard condenser microphone directly affixed to the pole holding the water tank, with a secure clip.

The wireless acoustic sensor contains a dual microphone capable of capturing target sounds as well as ambient noise. The frequencies associated with ambient noise will be subtracted to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio of the bubble sound waveform. The wireless sensor will be placed on the suprasternal notch of the infant for monitoring the bubble sounds transmitted to the lungs and secured using a silicone-based tape approved for use in neonates. Data will be transmitted in real-time to a research-dedicated tablet using the Bluetooth Communication Controller and stored for future analysis.

The transmitted CPAP pressure will be measured using an ultra-thin, single-use catheter pressure transducer inserted through the mouth to the level of the infant's nasopharynx. The data will be acquired with a sampling rate of 10kHz and stored for later analysis.