Development of Band-shaped Device and Detection Algorithm of Laryngeal Elevation

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Swallowing Physiology
• Rehabilitation Technology

Background:

• The Mendelsohn maneuver is crucial for improving swallowing function.
• Accurate measurement of laryngeal elevation is needed to assess maneuver effectiveness.
• Current methods for measuring laryngeal elevation are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel wearable device and algorithm for measuring laryngeal elevation during the Mendelsohn maneuver.
• To assess the accuracy of the developed system in detecting the onset and offset of laryngeal elevation.

Main Methods:

• A lightweight, band-shaped wearable device with stretchable strain sensors was designed to measure neck circumference changes.
• An algorithm utilizing first-order difference and dynamic time warping distance was developed to detect laryngeal elevation timing.
• Twelve elderly participants performed the Mendelsohn maneuver, and their data was analyzed using a clustering method and template matching.

Main Results:

• The measurement device accurately captured laryngeal elevation dynamics.
• The algorithm demonstrated high accuracy in detecting onset and offset times for one group of participants (within 1-second error).
• A larger error (approximately 4 seconds) was observed in the offset time for another group, suggesting areas for refinement.

Conclusions:

• The developed wearable device and algorithm show promise for objective assessment of the Mendelsohn maneuver.
• Further refinement of the algorithm may be necessary to improve accuracy for all participants.
• This technology has potential applications in dysphagia diagnosis and rehabilitation.