L2M – LinguaSens: Real-time Tongue Pressure Mapping Solution for Digital Therapy

In the field of speech-language pathology, the tongue’s role cannot be overstated. It is crucial for articulating speech sounds and ensuring the safe passage of food and liquids from the mouth to the esophagus. Yet, despite its importance, speech-language pathologists face significant challenges in evaluating tongue performance due to the lack of effective tools. This shortfall impacts the diagnosis and treatment of speech and swallowing disorders, leading to ineffective therapy sessions, tedious examinations, and consequently, low efficiency. This inefficiency not only reduces the throughput of treating and taking on new patients but also exacerbates wait times, which in Canada can stretch to over a year. Currently, 440,000 Canadians live with speech and language disabilities, underscoring a substantial demand for timely and effective therapeutic interventions. The absence of robust diagnostic tools hinders the ability of speech-language pathologists to provide early and accurate diagnoses and to implement timely interventions for those suffering from tongue muscle impairments and related health conditions. This market gap presents a significant opportunity for our device, which is designed to provide cost-effective, precise, and easy-to-use tongue strength evaluations. By improving diagnostic accuracy and treatment efficacy, our device not only promises to enhance patient outcomes but also aims to increase the capacity of speech-language pathologists to manage a larger caseload, ultimately reducing the patient backlog.

Faculty Supervisor:

John Madden

Student:

Partner:

I-INC Foundation for Business Development

Discipline:

Business

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program: