Swello - Taking the Thinking out of Swallowing for Patients with Dysphagia

Dysphagia is a swallowing disorder commonly associated with neurological disorders, such as stroke. Dysphagia is a primary insult of conditions such as aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition, and has the possibility for death. In Kazakhstan, it's heavily understudied and has little to no standard of care, without the access to the gold-standard tools that the U.S. currently uses. By leveraging technology and increasing awareness, we can address this clinical need for enhanced dysphagia care through consistent monitoring of the swallowing function. 

 

Swello is a collaborative effort between Lehigh University and Almaty Management University (AlmaU) focused on improving the care in Kazakhstan and beyond for those suffering from neurological and neuromuscular diseases which impede swallowing. Swello is a wearable device that monitors the progress of rehabilitation in patients suffering with dysphagia, through a non-invasive tracker that monitors vitals (EMG, temperature, accelerometer) and swallow function and effort. This data is interpreted via an app, making it easier for patients, families of patients, and doctors to ensure that symptoms of dysphagia do not worsen, getting patients the proper education, prevention, and help needed to prevent infections, such as aspiration pneumonia, and warrant long-term care.

 

All majors are welcome to apply, but this project may be of particular relevance to students from Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Bioengineering majors, especially those with interests in instrumentation and machine learning. College of Health students may also be particularly relevant to this project.