METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CHARACTERIZING ASPIRATION RISK FROM POST-SWALLOW PHARYNGEAL RESIDUE IMAGING

摘要

Disclosed herein is a method and device for characterizing aspiration riskfrom post-swallowpharyngeal residue imaging. In one embodiment, the method comprisesaccessing a post-swallow image of the candidate in which can be identified apredetermined or designated pharyngeal recess and scaling structure. Themethod furthercomprises identifying from the image a quantitative measure of residue presentin therecess to obtain a dimensional value representative thereof, and aquantitative measure ofthe predetermined scaling structure to obtain a scaling factor. A post-swallowaspirationrisk value can then be determined as a predefined function of the dimensionalvalue andthe scaling factor, and compared with a predefined aspiration risk index ofsuch values tocharacterize the candidate's post-swallow aspiration risk. A device is alsodisclosed foruse in implementing this method.