“Anti-Choke Mug” – Chula Innovation for Neuro Patients to Drink Water Confidently

BANGKOK, Thailand, Nov. 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Chula Medicine designed an anti-choke mug with calculated angle, amount, and time of water flow from the mug to the patient’s lips hoping to reduce choking that may lead to lung infection, bring peace of mind to caregivers, and make it safer for patients.

Choking is a potentially life-threatening problem, especially for the elderly suffering from neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s diseases, etc.  It can cause pneumonia, lung infections, sepsis, and eventually death.

To address this problem, Professor Roongroj Bhidayasiri, M.D., a neurology specialist, and head of the Excellence Center for Parkinson’s Disease & Related Disorders, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, and his research team then developed an “anti-choke mug” to help patients drink water safely.

“We designed an anti-choke mug so that users can drink and swallow water while the esophagus is in a good position, and the trachea is closed to reduce the risk of choking.”  Made with the same type of material as baby bottles, the mug is designed to look like a regular drinking mug, and not a medical device, with bright colors to stimulate users to want to drink more water.

Prof. Dr. Roongroj explains, “This mug allows the elderly to drink without tilting their neck backward to reduce choking. It can ensure the appropriate amount of water, duration of drinking, the right angle, and drinking posture. These are things that will help reduce choking in the elderly and patients.”  In addition, the anti-choke mug has a special design to help Parkinson’s patients.

“The handle of the mug is designed to have a bulging part at the bottom to help Parkinson’s patients who cannot grip properly, so that they can have a strong and stable grip, thus becoming more confident in drinking water.”

Currently, the anti-choke mug is still a prototype, and is being tested with a large number of real users who are in-patients and outpatients who use the mugs in their daily lives. These mugs are fitted with sensors to monitor water drinking behavior.

Read the full article at https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/141762/ 

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SOURCE Chulalongkorn University Communication Center