Sensors, Vol. 23, Pages 642: Multi-Sensor Respiratory & ndash;Swallow Telecare System for Safe Feeding in Different Trunk Inclinations: System Development and Clinical Application

This study aimed to develop a semiautomatic feeding telecare system that provides instant feedback and warnings on-site and remotely. It also aimed to analyze the effects of trunk positions on respiratory–swallow coordination. A signal collector with multiple integrated sensors for real-time respiratory–swallow monitoring and warning was developed. A repeated measures design was implemented to evaluate the effects of trunk inclination angles on the swallow-related functions. Significant differences in inclination angles were discovered for swallowing apnea (p = 0.045) and total excursion time of thyroid cartilage (p = 0.037), and pairwise comparisons indicated that these differences were mostly present at 5° to 45°. Alerts were triggered successfully when undesired respiratory patterns or piecemeal occurred. The results indicated that a care recipient can swallow more easily when sitting upright (5°) than when leaning backward (45°). This telecare system provides on-site and remote respiratory–swallow monitoring and alerting for residents in care facilities and can serve as a pipeline for the early screening of swallowing dysfunction.
Source: Sensors - Category: Biotechnology Authors: Tags: Article Source Type: research