Fabrication of Skin-Mountable Flexible Sensor Patch for Monitoring of Swallowing Function

Swallowing is a critical function that enables humans to sustain life. When swallowing is compromised, the consequences can be devastating and include malnutrition, dehydration, respiratory compromise, and even death. Swallowing disorders (i.e., dysphagia) are very common in many disorders and diseases, such as stroke, ALS, Parkinson disease, and more, and in fact millions of people across the world are diagnosed with oropharyngeal swallowing disorders every year. Current rehabilitative interventions for dysphagia can be effective, but require daily performance of swallowing exercises that primarily rely on expensive biofeedback devices (e.g., oral manometers, electromyographic (EMG) devices, and endoscopic devices). These types of devices are often only available in medical facilities. However, it is not feasible or economically viable for patients to make multiple visits per day or week to a clinic to receive intensive treatment, especially given mobility limitations that many affected patients often experience. This can reduce treatment adherence and result in decreased rehabilitation potential, re-hospitalizations, and increased healthcare costs. To address this gap, we designed a novel specialized portable skin-mounted flexible sensor system that allows remote signal acquisition of swallowing-related signals. Herein, we report technical details for the fabrication of the skin-mounted flexible sensor patch that is tailored for the human submental (under the chin) area, enabling the continuous, reliable monitoring of both muscles' activity (i.e., EMG signals) and laryngeal movements during swallowing events. The sensor patch is wired to a portable reusable wireless (Bluetooth) unit compatible with smart watches, phones, and tablets for post-data analysis and reporting through a cloud server, which would potentially enable telemonitoring of patients with dysphagia.