Method for objectively reproducing a dysphagia diet
OwnerCheryl L. Evansinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for objectively reproducing a dysphagia diet comprising the steps of selecting a quantifiable food characteristic (QFC) having a numerical value that can be objectively measured; selecting a testing device capable of measuring the QFC value; selecting a sample food having a QFC value; using the testing device to measure the QFC value of the sample food; and determining whether the measured QFC value of the sample food fails within a quantifiable dysphagia diet range.
Claims20
A method for prescribing a dysphagia diet to a patient based upon flow rate of flowable food, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing different dysphagia diets corresponding to quantifiable flow rate ranges for a boundary of a flowable food to move from a first location to a second location within a measured period of time;
- providing a testing system capable of measuring flow rate of a flowable food, the testing system comprising:
- a passage for directing flowable food to move from a first location to a second location of the passage, and
- a timer for measuring period of time for a boundary of flowable food to flow from the first location to the second location of the passage;
- selecting a sample flowable food to measure the flow rate of the sample flowable food using the testing system;
- using the testing system to measure period of time for a boundary of the sample flowable food to move from the first location to the second location of the passage;
- and
- determining which dysphasia diet based upon the period of time for the boundary of the sample flowable food to move from the first location to the second location.
A method for prescribing and reproducing a consistent custom dysphagia diet, comprising the steps of:
- a) testing an objective and quantifiable food characteristic of foods medically safe for swallowing by a patient suffering from dysphagia;
- b) determining a safe numerical range of the quantifiable food characteristic acceptable for safe swallowing by the patient suffering from dysphagia;
- c) prescribing this numerical range to the dysphagia patient as identifying foods having this quantifiable food characteristic as being safe for consumption by the patient;
- d) testing commercial food products to determine the value for the quantifiable food characteristic of the commercial food products;
- and
- e) labeling the commercial foods products with the numerical value of the quantifiable food characteristic so that dysphagia patients can determine if a particular commercial food product has a numerical value of the quantifiable food characteristic that falls within the safe numerical range for a dysphagia patient, thereby enabling a dysphagia patient to determine if that commercial food product is safe for consumption.
A flow rate measuring device, comprising:
- a chute bed for supporting a chute liner having an upper portion and a lower portion;
- a chute liner located within the chute bed, the chute liner enabling a flowable substance to flow between the upper portion and the lower portion;
- a first liquid detector located proximate the upper portion of the chute bed for detecting when a flowable substance passes by the first liquid detector;
- a second liquid detector located proximate the lower portion of the chute bed for detecting when a flowable substance passes by the second liquid detector;
- and
- a timing circuit connected to the first liquid detector and the second liquid detector, wherein the timing circuit determines amount of time for a flowable substance to flow between the first liquid detector and the second liquid detector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.