Phototherapy lamps and bilirubinometers for neonatal units: how to choose
6 October 2026
Every maternity ward needs a phototherapy lamp, and it rarely sits idle: according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), more than 80% of newborns develop some degree of jaundice. The lamp only does half the job, though. Staff measure bilirubin first, use a nomogram to decide whether the baby needs neonatal phototherapy, then keep measuring to see whether it works. So the lamp and the bilirubinometer are best chosen together. The devices mentioned below are in our neonatal care equipment section.
What light does a phototherapy lamp need to deliver?
In Ukraine, care for neonatal jaundice follows the unified clinical protocol «Жовтяниця новонароджених дітей» (Jaundice in newborns), approved by Ministry of Health order No. 783 of 27 April 2023. The same order repealed the 2006 protocol (No. 255). The protocol names blue light at 430 to 490 nm as the most effective, with bilirubin absorbing most strongly at 460 nm. Effective phototherapy lowers total serum bilirubin by at least 35 to 50 µmol/L within 4 to 6 hours. Standard phototherapy means an irradiance of 25 to 30 µW/cm²/nm; intensive phototherapy means 30 to 35 µW/cm²/nm, and going above 35 adds no further benefit.
The 2022 AAP guideline for infants of 35 or more weeks' gestation says light outside the 460 to 490 nm range gives off unnecessary heat and potentially harmful wavelengths.
| Parameter | Ukrainian protocol No. 783 | AAP 2022 guideline and 2024 technical report |
|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | 430 to 490 nm, absorption peak 460 nm | 460 to 490 nm, optimum 478 nm |
| Intensive phototherapy | 30 to 35 µW/cm²/nm | at least 30 µW/cm² per nm |
| Exposed area | as large as possible, several light sources if needed | 35 to 80% of body surface |
LED, fluorescent or fiberoptic: which phototherapy lamp for newborns?
The protocol ranks blue LEDs first for lowering bilirubin over 24 hours. Metal halide and fluorescent lamps come next; fiberoptic pads and mattresses come last. Pads are recommended as an add-on and should be used with care in babies under 1000 g. LEDs last longer and run cool with no ultraviolet. But an undressed baby in an open cot under an LED lamp can get cold if the room is cool. Preterm babies go into an incubator for phototherapy.
Our catalog has three kinds of lamp:
- overhead lamps: the Fanem Bilitron 3006 (5 SuperLEDs, a 1 kg head that mounts on 1186 and Vision Advanced 2286 incubators) and the Bilitron Sky 5006 with 15 SuperLEDs, on feet or a mobile stand;
- from below: the Bilitron Bed 4006, whose 17 SuperLEDs shine up through a clear gel mattress, up to 47 µW/cm²·nm over a 28 × 16 cm surface;
- with a warmer: the Ginevri Elios (50 µW/cm²/nm at 45 cm plus a 350 W heater with skin servo control) and the Mizar, which lights the baby from above (30 µW/cm²/nm at 90 cm) and below (50 µW/cm²/nm at 25 cm).
Ginevri states a 425 to 475 nm spectrum with a 455 nm peak for the Elios and Mizar. Ask for the spectral curve and check it against the protocol's range.
How many lamps and bilirubinometers does a ward need?
The minimum comes from the equipment table for a maternity hospital (obstetric department), approved by Ministry of Health order No. 951 of 4 November 2010. For every 10 beds in a postnatal rooming-in ward it lists 2 phototherapy units and 1 transcutaneous bilirubinometer. For every 10 beds in a neonatal intensive care and resuscitation room it lists 3 phototherapy systems, 3 transcutaneous bilirubinometers and 1 analyser for bilirubin in capillary blood. For a combined obstetric and gynaecology department the same order sets 1 lamp and 1 transcutaneous bilirubinometer. Order No. 274 of 2 March 2026, which takes effect on 1 January 2027, removes other items from these sections but keeps the phototherapy units and bilirubinometers. Our article on equipment tables explains how to merge them into one list.
If two babies need intensive phototherapy from two sources at the same time, three systems per 10 beds won't be enough. For preterm babies the lamp has to sit over or attach to the incubator, so check it fits your infant incubators. The AAP suggests giving phototherapy in the mother's room where possible, which is where mobile lamps on stands make sense.
How do you check that a lamp still works?
A lamp that lights up isn't necessarily delivering the dose. The AAP cites Dutch studies in which suboptimal phototherapy doses were common. The Ukrainian protocol says to keep to the manufacturer's distance and service life, check spectral output periodically, and test electrical and fire safety. The 2022 AAP guideline says hospitals should verify irradiance as the manufacturer recommends, because different meters give different readings. Irradiance is higher under the centre of the light than at the edges, and the guideline's figures refer to the centre. The 2024 AAP technical report adds that the meter must be calibrated for the wavelength range of that particular device. In practice:
- buy a radiometer with the lamps; for the three Bilitron models the irradiance probe is an option;
- compare models at the same distance, since datasheets quote irradiance at 25, 45 or 90 cm;
- log readings under the centre and at the edges of the light field;
- watch LED hours: Bilitron LEDs last 50,000 hours on average, Elios LEDs 20,000 hours.
Tender specifications can require compliance with IEC 60601-2-50, the international standard for the safety and essential performance of infant phototherapy equipment (current consolidated edition 2020+AMD1:2023). It does not cover radiant warmers, which have IEC 60601-2-21, so for lamps with a heater ask for documents covering the warmer too.
Transcutaneous bilirubinometer or serum test?
A transcutaneous bilirubinometer reads the yellowness of light reflected from the skin and estimates bilirubin from it. The Ukrainian protocol treats this as a reliable screening test that picks out babies who need a blood test; readings are taken over the sternum or forehead. Total serum bilirubin is needed if the transcutaneous value is at or above the phototherapy threshold or within 50 µmol/L below it, or if it is 257 µmol/L or more. The protocol advises against transcutaneous readings in the first 24 hours of life, below 35 weeks' gestation, in prolonged jaundice or direct hyperbilirubinaemia, during or after phototherapy, and after an exchange transfusion.
The AAP sets its limits in mg/dL: measure serum bilirubin if the transcutaneous value exceeds or is within 3 mg/dL of the phototherapy threshold, or is 15 mg/dL or more. On skin exposed to phototherapy the devices tend to read low, and they can be used again once at least 24 hours have passed since phototherapy stopped. One more rule from the protocol matters for purchasing: each baby should be measured with devices of the same model.
So a ward needs both kinds of device. The Mennen Medical BiliCare measures at the outer ear, covers 0 to 20 mg/dL (0 to 340 µmol/L), correlates with serum bilirubin at r = 0.90, gives at least 250 readings per charge and sends results to the hospital system over HL7. The maker states use from 24 weeks' gestation, while the protocol describes a different site and a 35-week limit, so agree the procedure with your neonatologists. The Ginevri One Beam bench analyser measures total serum bilirubin on the ward, with no need to send the sample to a central lab.
Where to buy a phototherapy lamp and a bilirubinometer?
Before you talk to a supplier, note the number of rooming-in and intensive care beds, your incubator models, the lamps you already have and their hours, and whether bilirubin results must go into your hospital information system. Finer has supplied Ukrainian healthcare facilities with equipment from international manufacturers since 2015. Our doctors and engineers will match lamps and bilirubinometers to your wards, prepare a quote and tender documents, commission the equipment and train your staff. If you are equipping a whole maternity department, see our turnkey solutions. Call 0 800 334 585 or send a request from the contacts page.
FAQ
1. What drives the price of a phototherapy lamp?
Design (overhead, from below through a mattress, double, with a warmer), the number of LEDs and the irradiance, how it mounts on an incubator, and what comes in the box: an irradiance probe, a stand, eye shields. Finer quotes the price for a specific configuration in a commercial proposal.
2. Can a 311 nm lamp be used for neonatal phototherapy?
No. 311 nm is ultraviolet, and the Ukrainian protocol calls ultraviolet below 400 nm harmful. Neonatal jaundice is treated with blue light at 430 to 490 nm, so you need a neonatal lamp with that spectrum and a stated irradiance.
3. How long does neonatal phototherapy last?
There is no fixed duration; decisions follow serum bilirubin. NICE recommends repeating the test 4 to 6 hours after starting, then every 6 to 12 hours, and stopping once the level is at least 50 µmol/L below the threshold.
4. What is a normal reading on a transcutaneous bilirubinometer?
The device gives a number, not a verdict. Staff plot it on the nomogram in appendix 3 of the protocol for the baby's gestational and postnatal age and birth weight. If the value is within 50 µmol/L of the phototherapy threshold or 257 µmol/L or more, a serum test follows.
5. How does a transcutaneous bilirubinometer differ from a bench analyser?
A transcutaneous device needs no blood and suits screening of term and late preterm babies. A bench analyser measures total serum bilirubin, so it needs a blood sample, but it gives the figure the protocol calls the gold standard for diagnosis.
