Abstract
We evaluated nine semi-transparent plastic window-tinting films for their ability to block ultraviolet A (UVA) and infrared (IR) radiation and transmit therapeutic blue light (400-520 nm) for treating jaundiced newborns. For indoor testing, three light sources (TL/52 special blue fluorescent, Black Light UVA and IR heat lamps) were positioned above each film and measured successively using a thermocouple thermometer, UVA radiometer and blue light irradiance meter, placed below each film. For outdoor testing, the same setup was used with the sun at zenith and a cloudless sky. Compared with unfiltered radiation, blue light transmission through films ranged from 24 to 83%, UVA transmission was 0.1-7.1% and reductions in IR heat were 6-12°C and 5-10°C for heat lamp and sun, respectively. The data suggest that most of the relatively low-cost window-tinting films tested can effectively reduce sunlight UV and IR and offer a range of significant attenuations of therapeutic blue light.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | fmt062 |
| Pages (from-to) | 496-501 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Journal of tropical pediatrics |
| Volume | 59 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 2013 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was supported by the Mary L. Johnson Research Fund, the Christopher Hess Research Fund and the H.M. Lui Research Fund.
Keywords
- Bilirubin
- Hyperbilirubinemia
- Jaundice
- Newborn
- Phototherapy