Construction of Age Model for the Evaluation of Swallowing Function Using Photo Sensors

For the realization of better in-home nursing environment, understanding the swallowing function and its process are quite essential to realize appropriate rehabilitation policies and dietary menus to prevent aspirations. However, the swallowing function is currently examined using mainly large-scale and expensive methods such as video fluoroscopic examination of swallowing, mesophagia fiber, palatal pressure measurement, CT, and cine MRI, which are difficult to be used at patients´ homes. This paper proposes an age model, which applies a self organization map (SOM) to evaluate the swallowing function. As parameters to make the SOM, the lead time, the geniohyoid muscle, and the thyrohyid muscle are measured using photo sensors with a little invasiveness. To verify the effectiveness of our swallowing function map, the age of the subject determined by the map is compared with his/her actual age. As a result of the comparison, the root mean square error was 6.28 years.