The quartz crystal microbalance as a microviscometer for improved rehabilitation therapy of dysphagic patients

The viscosity of non-solid foods, and the stability of their viscosity over time, temperature change and shearing is critical in managing dysphagia. The starch-based foodstuffs thickeners used in dysphagia therapy are highly non-Newtonian and their viscosity is dependent on shear rate, shear history, temperature and time. This inherently results in the subjective measurement of viscosity and hence the management of dysphagia to be error prone. Given the ageing population, this problem is likely to become more widespread. This paper identifies the need for an objective measurement device rather than the current subjective methods. The use of the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) as a viscometer for the starch-based thickeners is reported.