From Lab to Clinic: Advancing Dysphagia Rehabilitation with Wearable Technology
Georgia Malandraki, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Purdue University & Incoming SHS Department Head
Abstract: Advancing dysphagia rehabilitation calls for innovative tools that can improve our ability to collect data objectively and increase access to care. Wearable technologies can meet this need, but several design, validation, and efficacy factors must be carefully considered. This talk will explore the role of wearable technologies in dysphagia rehabilitation, with a focus on our lab’s development of i-Phagia, a wearable surface electromyography (sEMG) biofeedback device designed to enhance swallowing management. The journey from initial concept and prototyping through validation, iterative testing, and our ongoing NIH-funded clinical trial will be shared. Lessons learned, successes, and challenges along the way will also be discussed, as well as recent efforts to integrate multimodal imaging and AI for telehealth applications. The goal is to demonstrate how these efforts can help bridge the lab-clinic gap, enrich evidence-based practice, and introduce pathways to academic entrepreneurship as an exciting avenue for research innovation.