Swallowing simulation apparatus and method

Abstract

A swallowing simulation apparatus that facilitate approximately reproducing an actual phenomenon of swallowing and allows quantifying a physical quantity related to a behavior and a physical property of an orally-ingested product is provided. The swallowing simulation apparatusA comprises a head-and-neck modeling unitconfigured to form a dynamic three-dimensional model of the head-and-neckthat includes head-and-neck organs, an organ movement setting unitconfigured to set movements of the respective head-and-neck organs in the dynamic three-dimensional model of the head-and-neck, an orally-ingested-product physical-property setting unitconfigured to set an orally-ingested product as an analysis target and a physical property of the orally-ingested product, an input unitconfigured to input a pseudo-orally-ingested productformed by modeling the orally-ingested product to an oral cavity, a movement analysis unitconfigured to analyze the movements of the respective head-and-neck organs in the dynamic three-dimensional model of the head-and-neckand a behavior of the pseudo-orally-ingested productduring swallowed in a three-dimensional space using a particle method, and a display unitconfigured to display an analysis result of the movements of the respective head-and-neck organs and the behavior of the pseudo-orally-ingested product during swallowed that are analyzed by the movement analysis uniton a movement screen.