Modeling of a controlled flow cup for improved transitional drinking development in children

Clinical observations of children with swallowing disorders using a traditional "sippy" or transitional drinking cup identified a need for a novel cup. Children with swallowing disorders are often unable to initiate the forces required to activate the cup and/or maintain suction pressure. Furthermore, fast flow rates can result in choking.

A new cup design tool is proposed using fluid-cup interactions to capture the changing geometry of the fluid during drinking. A Petri net formulation is integrated with standard fluid flow principles. A new parametric cup simulation provides visualization and direct implementation for microcontroller prototypes. A vent-based controller is developed and modeled for a novel transitional drinking cup design. A simulated pouring study is performed for water and a baseline liquid volume of 200 ml in the cup. The study varies rotation rates, initial volume, system control and desired flow rates.

Volumetric flow rate curves over time are generated and compared in relation to a target flow rate. The simulation results show expected behavior for variations in cup parameters.

The new simulation model facilitates future dysphagia research through rapid prototyping by tuning cup geometry, liquid parameters and control signals to meet the varying needs of the users.