What is BABYBE

A device that gives preterm babies the chance to experience their mother´s presence even when confined to an incubator.

As seen on

How does BABYBE works

We take physical manifestations of the mother´s emotions, such as heart beat, breathing pattern, and voice and replicate them in real time inside the mattress the baby lies on.

The BABYBE system has 3 components: 

The "Turtle": a soft device that emulates the main features of a baby´s body and collects the mother's breathing and heartbeat from her chest.

The "Cradle": this component sits besides the incubator machine and receive the information that the "turtle" send it via wireless communication then translates it into pneumatic actuation.

The Bionic Mattress: an active surface that allows the baby to perceive those pneumatic pulses as stimuli coming from the mother chest. 

 

Babybe first trials. Shenzhen, China (Oct 2013) Stuttgart, Germany (Jul 2013)

Mother Module: the "Turtle", Control Module: The "Cradle", Bionic Mattress.

The Turtle in use

     

What we will do with your contribution?

This is a Charity Campaign, You won´t receive a physical perk for your donation, But every cent we get we will spend it on making the future of newborn care more human.

That´s why we go for the minimum goal; because, even when we have huge funding needs, from the moment on which we get YOU involve, we consider it a success.

Every cent will help us to bring BABYBE to newborns in need. We will use it to run clinical trials, set manufacturing in motion and deliver the BABYBE system to Hospitals.

Our ambition is not only to build a device that feels good but to give the doctors and the caregiver a tool for the emotional care of the premature babies. 

Emotional care is too important to take it lightly. We want to go through the testing process that every medical device goes through so we can bring a device of the highest quality to every local NICU.

What We Need & What You Get

We need you on our team. We need to build a community around preterm babies that cares about emotional well being of newborns, a community that understands that preterms babies need love as much as they need medical attention.

Our community is changing health care forever.  You can be a part of it. 

Early Backers

During this year we have receive the invaluable support of HAXLR8R and STARTUP-CHILE, which allows us to bring our technology to to the point that can be use to help newborns. But we still need a little push to get it done, back us and be part of the effort to bring mothers and sons together.  

TEAM

The BABYBE team backbone is composed by Raphael Lang, a Mechatronics engineer, Artist and TEDx speaker and Camilo Anabalon, Industrial Designer, Biomimetic Professor and Bass player. 

We met during our Master Degree in Innovation in the Stuttgart Akademie of Arts. After finishing we form Integral Team, a multi-disciplinary collective focus on developing innovative devices for clients across different industries. There, we had the chance to work for companies such as ROCHE, TRUMPF, DWH and DAIMLER among others. Several patents and awards -such as the Fujitsu Future computing Design award- came out from that period.

Nowadays we are fully focus on bringing BABYBE to the hospitals and change the lives of thousands of families.

 

Founders of BABYBE

Raphael Lang & Camilo Anabalon showing BABYBE at the HAXLR8R demo day last november in San Francisco

For two years we have been working to develop the BABYBE system in close collaboration with medical advisers and manufacturing partners. 

Our vision is to build human centered technology to enrich peoples' lives. We pursue this goal everyday by merging our backgrounds in mechatronics engineering and industrial design with the expert knowledge of medical practitioners, business developers and, most importantly, end users.

How BABYBE was born

Almost two years ago, we went into an Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) what we saw changed our vision of health care. In a room within a room there was a big machine full of wires, hoses, lights and beeps; inside that machine there was a newborn baby. In the bigger room, screens reported every subtle change of the baby´s physiology to doctors so they could move quickly to help the baby. 

But what really changed our perception was the one element we did not see in that room. That element, the parents, was waiting outside in agony for a glimpse of that baby.

From that moment on, we made our goal bridging the gap between preterm babies and their parents. And with the help of an amazing group of people such as the neonatology crew of the Olgahospital in Stuttgart, Germany, and the San Borja Hospital in Santiago, Chile, we are closing in on that goal. 

Initial Concepts

Two years ago we started working on this simple concept.

Sensing the breathing of the mother through a wearable device and...  

Replicate it in the baby´s mattress.

Since then the system has evolve into a complex array of sensors, micro controllers and high tech materials that is today the BABYBE Biocord. 

Getting the Prototypes ready for Certifications & Clinical trials, Support us !

We are working hard making the first batch 10 devices perfect and ready for certifications & clinical trials. The pictures shows the housing parts of the first batch of devices before shipping for final assembling & testing and quality control.

Risk and Challenges.

Making medical devices is an enormous technological challenge. Certifying a medical device of the complexity of the Babybe under regulations such as the FFC, FDA, and  CE is similarly challenging.  To comply with regulatory standards we have to make changes to electronic and mechanical designs. These changes can delay the product release. Our product is, according to medical product advisers, an FDA catgory class II device. To avoid risk in certifying the system we are using power supplies, wireless network modules and housing materials that are already FCC or CE proved in our latest design.

FAQ

What kind of Material is used for the Mattress?

The material of the mattress, made in Germany, is an special polyurethane which has already been approved by FDA and ÖKOTEX 100 Standard.

ÖKOTEX 100 is one of the most stringent standards for certifying nontoxicity

Is the Babybe System quiet during use?

The Babybe system is not mounted directly on the incubator. Our device won´t increase the noise level inside an incubator.

The Bionic mattress acts as a damper of the sounds within the incubator.  In fact, its massive gel body absorbs lots of unrelated vibrations.

The mattress is moved through airflow, which works silently. 

We made a button free interface to avoid any loud "clicking" noises while using the device.

How long do the batteries for the "Turtle" mother module last?

The "Turtle" works for 3-5 days before the unit must be re-charged or the batteries changed.

How do I connect an MP3 Player with Babybe to do music therapy?

The Cradle Control Module has a standard 3.5 mm Audio jack that works with common MP3 Players or simular devices.

The volume is adjusted by the MP3 player itself.

How is the mattress cleaned or sterilised?

To clean and sterilize our product standard cleansers and processes used in hospital environments can be used.

Can the System prevent SIDS?

We bring information from mother to baby.  The device does not address SIDS. 

Do you plan release a Version of BABYBE for the consumer market ?

No, BABYBE is strictly for use in the hospital environment.  It is designed for the users who need it critically: preterm babies in the NICU. The BABYBE SYSTEM is a Class II device.

Can I buy BABYBE right now in the US/EUROPE ?

No,The BABYBE system is currently not for sale, and the BABYBE System is not FDA / CE proved yet. 

Do you claim medical aspects yet ?

The BABYBE System has to been tested in clinical trials so we can not claim any medical benefit yet, the material of the mattress itself has been clinical tested by our manufacturer with infants.

How the manufacturing and certification works ?

We work together with a Germany company that take care for the quality-management /manufacturing/assembling/quality control/shipping and FDA/ CE Market certifications.