Determining the Influence of Viscosity on Quantitative Indicators of Swallowing Function using Ultrasound Video Processing

Pneumonia is the third leading cause of death in Japan, several cases of which are associated with aspiration pneumonia. However, no quantitative indicator exists for swallowing function evaluation. Therefore, we decided to use pharyngeal ultrasound video to establish the indicator noninvasively. We herein propose a method to obtain the movement speed and opening condition of the esophagus as well as the flow speed of the bolus, which are considered effective indicators of food-correspondent aspiration. Additionally, using this method, the flow characteristics of the esophageal wall and the bolus can be visualized and compared by extracting the elements at the time of swallowing three liquids of different viscosities.