SafeStrawTM - A Volume Limiting Drinking Aid
The Bionix SafeStraw helps patients with deficient oropharyngeal or oral
motor skills drink safely. Patients with this type of dysfunction have difficulty consuming liquids because of their inability to control the liquid bolus. Pharyngeal muscles react slowly, and the patient loses fluid out of the
oral cavity or aspirate. This difficulty with swallowing is often diagnosed
as dysphagia, a condition shared by over 15,000,000 Americans and is
treated by SLPs, PTs and Home Nursing Care.
How It Works
The SafeStraw™ provides a limited bolus size by use of a fluid chamber,
one way valve, and float. As the patient sucks on the straw, fluid flows through
the valve and into the chamber. When the fluid travels through the chamber to
the straw, the float rises. After around 6.2ml’s the float reaches the top of
the chamber closing it off preventing the patient from receiving more fluid.
Once they stop sucking, the float sinks to the bottom of the chamber.
This break gives them time to control the liquid bolus and safely swallow.
Once the float has reached the bottom of the chamber they can safely draw
another 6.2ml’s of fluid.