Accurate and Noninvasive Dysphagia Assessment via a Soft High‐Density sEMG Electrode Array Conformal to the Submental and Infrahyoid Muscles

Abstract Accurate, noninvasive dysphagia assessment is important for rehabilitation therapy but current clinical diagnostic methods are either invasive or subjective. Surface electromyography (sEMG) that monitors muscle activity during swallowing, offers a promising alternative. However, existing sE...

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Main Authors: Weijie Hong, Lin Mao, Kai Lin, Chongyuan Huang, Yanyan Su, Shun Zhang, Chengjun Wang, Daming Wang, Jizhou Song, Zuobing Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-07-01
Series:Advanced Science
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202500472
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author Weijie Hong
Lin Mao
Kai Lin
Chongyuan Huang
Yanyan Su
Shun Zhang
Chengjun Wang
Daming Wang
Jizhou Song
Zuobing Chen
author_facet Weijie Hong
Lin Mao
Kai Lin
Chongyuan Huang
Yanyan Su
Shun Zhang
Chengjun Wang
Daming Wang
Jizhou Song
Zuobing Chen
author_sort Weijie Hong
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Accurate, noninvasive dysphagia assessment is important for rehabilitation therapy but current clinical diagnostic methods are either invasive or subjective. Surface electromyography (sEMG) that monitors muscle activity during swallowing, offers a promising alternative. However, existing sEMG electrode arrays for dysphagia assessment remain challenging in combining the advantages of a large coverage area and strong compliance to the entire swallowing muscles. Here, we report a stretchable, breathable, large‐area high‐density sEMG (HD‐sEMG) electrode array, which enables intimate contact to complex surface of the submental and infrahyoid muscles to detect high‐fidelity HD‐sEMG signals during swallowing. The electrode array features a 64‐channel soft on‐skin sensing array for comprehensive data capture, and a stiff connector for simple and reliable connection to an external acquisition setup. Systemically experimental studies revealed the easy operability of the soft HD‐sEMG electrode array for effortless integration with the skin, as well as the excellent mechanical and electrical characteristics even subject to substantial skin deformations. By comparing HD‐sEMG signals collected from 38 participants, three objective indicators for quantitative dysphagia evaluation were discussed. Finally, a machine learning model was developed to accurately and automatically classify the severity of dysphagia, and the factors affecting the recognition accuracy of the model were discussed in depth.
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spelling doaj-art-bcf66254f6844d448bbd238c1c6ef77f2025-08-20T03:28:58ZengWileyAdvanced Science2198-38442025-07-011225n/an/a10.1002/advs.202500472Accurate and Noninvasive Dysphagia Assessment via a Soft High‐Density sEMG Electrode Array Conformal to the Submental and Infrahyoid MusclesWeijie Hong0Lin Mao1Kai Lin2Chongyuan Huang3Yanyan Su4Shun Zhang5Chengjun Wang6Daming Wang7Jizhou Song8Zuobing Chen9Department of Rehabilitation Medicine The First Affiliated Hospital School of Medicine Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310003 ChinaDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine The First Affiliated Hospital School of Medicine Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310003 ChinaKey Laboratory of Soft Machines and Smart Devices of Zhejiang Province State Key Laboratory of Brain‐Machine Intelligence Department of Engineering Mechanics Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310027 ChinaKey Laboratory of Soft Machines and Smart Devices of Zhejiang Province State Key Laboratory of Brain‐Machine Intelligence Department of Engineering Mechanics Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310027 ChinaKey Laboratory of Soft Machines and Smart Devices of Zhejiang Province State Key Laboratory of Brain‐Machine Intelligence Department of Engineering Mechanics Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310027 ChinaDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine The First Affiliated Hospital School of Medicine Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310003 ChinaDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine The First Affiliated Hospital School of Medicine Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310003 ChinaDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine The First Affiliated Hospital School of Medicine Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310003 ChinaDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine The First Affiliated Hospital School of Medicine Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310003 ChinaDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine The First Affiliated Hospital School of Medicine Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310003 ChinaAbstract Accurate, noninvasive dysphagia assessment is important for rehabilitation therapy but current clinical diagnostic methods are either invasive or subjective. Surface electromyography (sEMG) that monitors muscle activity during swallowing, offers a promising alternative. However, existing sEMG electrode arrays for dysphagia assessment remain challenging in combining the advantages of a large coverage area and strong compliance to the entire swallowing muscles. Here, we report a stretchable, breathable, large‐area high‐density sEMG (HD‐sEMG) electrode array, which enables intimate contact to complex surface of the submental and infrahyoid muscles to detect high‐fidelity HD‐sEMG signals during swallowing. The electrode array features a 64‐channel soft on‐skin sensing array for comprehensive data capture, and a stiff connector for simple and reliable connection to an external acquisition setup. Systemically experimental studies revealed the easy operability of the soft HD‐sEMG electrode array for effortless integration with the skin, as well as the excellent mechanical and electrical characteristics even subject to substantial skin deformations. By comparing HD‐sEMG signals collected from 38 participants, three objective indicators for quantitative dysphagia evaluation were discussed. Finally, a machine learning model was developed to accurately and automatically classify the severity of dysphagia, and the factors affecting the recognition accuracy of the model were discussed in depth.https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202500472dysphagia assessmentmachine learningstretchable high‐density sEMGswallowing
spellingShingle Weijie Hong
Lin Mao
Kai Lin
Chongyuan Huang
Yanyan Su
Shun Zhang
Chengjun Wang
Daming Wang
Jizhou Song
Zuobing Chen
Accurate and Noninvasive Dysphagia Assessment via a Soft High‐Density sEMG Electrode Array Conformal to the Submental and Infrahyoid Muscles
Advanced Science
dysphagia assessment
machine learning
stretchable high‐density sEMG
swallowing
title Accurate and Noninvasive Dysphagia Assessment via a Soft High‐Density sEMG Electrode Array Conformal to the Submental and Infrahyoid Muscles
title_full Accurate and Noninvasive Dysphagia Assessment via a Soft High‐Density sEMG Electrode Array Conformal to the Submental and Infrahyoid Muscles
title_fullStr Accurate and Noninvasive Dysphagia Assessment via a Soft High‐Density sEMG Electrode Array Conformal to the Submental and Infrahyoid Muscles
title_full_unstemmed Accurate and Noninvasive Dysphagia Assessment via a Soft High‐Density sEMG Electrode Array Conformal to the Submental and Infrahyoid Muscles
title_short Accurate and Noninvasive Dysphagia Assessment via a Soft High‐Density sEMG Electrode Array Conformal to the Submental and Infrahyoid Muscles
title_sort accurate and noninvasive dysphagia assessment via a soft high density semg electrode array conformal to the submental and infrahyoid muscles
topic dysphagia assessment
machine learning
stretchable high‐density sEMG
swallowing
url https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202500472
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