The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 10, 2021
Filed:
Aug. 23, 2018
Nfant Labs, Llc, Atlanta, GA (US);
Thomas J. Cunningham, Smyrna, GA (US);
Louis F. Malice, Jr., Marietta, GA (US);
Gilson J. Capilouto, Lexington, KY (US);
NFANT Labs, LLC, Atlanta, GA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for evaluating the tongue strength and coordination of a subject includes an intermediate device such as a lever which is pivotably attached to a coupling device and extends into a cavity of a nipple element. The lever is detached from the nipple and pivotable in response to deformation of the nipple element by a tongue force exerted on the nipple element by a subject during a suck-swallow-breathe sequence. The coupling device includes a sensing device to wirelessly transmit sensor outputs to a mobile device paired to the sensing device. The sensing device includes at least one sealed chamber defined by a membrane and a sensor. In one example, a first membrane and sensor senses pressure change in a fluid in the apparatus, and a second membrane and sensor is actuated by the intermediate device to sense deformation of the nipple element. A method using the apparatus is provided.