Wearable sensors could spot swallowing disorders without scopes

NCT ID NCT06014710

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University Hospital, Toulouse Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Aug 13, 2026 · Last updated Aug 14, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study is testing whether five non-invasive sensors—a microphone, accelerometer, muscle activity patches, a nasal cannula, and a pulse oximeter—can accurately assess swallowing function. Researchers will compare these sensor readings with standard tests in 440 people with swallowing difficulties and 80 healthy volunteers. The goal is to develop a model that can automatically identify swallowing problems, gauge their severity, and predict the risk of complications like choking or lung infections.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Non-invasive sensor monitoring (microphone, accelerometer, surface EMG, nasal cannula, pulse oximeter) during swallowing tests
What this could lead to: If successful, this could lead to a simple, non-invasive way to diagnose and monitor swallowing disorders, reducing the need for uncomfortable procedures.
What could go wrong: This is an early-stage study focused on developing and validating a model. The sensors may not accurately capture all swallowing problems, and the technology may not be ready for widespread use.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 520 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Apr 2023

Expected to finish

Oct 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion criteria for patients with swallowing disorders : * Indication to perform a swallowing test (suspected or proven swallowing disorder or presence of a complication) * Able to follow up by phone for 6 months or have a caregiver who can answer for them * Affiliated subject or beneficiary of the social security system * Consent to participate obtained in writing and signed by the subject or, if applicable, the next of kin/support person Inclusion criteria for healthy volunteers : * No swallowing disorder or discomfort (DHI score\<8) * Affiliated subject or beneficiary of the social security system * Signed Consent to Participate Non-inclusion criteria for patients with swallowing disorders : * Skin lesion(s) at the neck * Tracheotomy or tracheostomy (laryngectomy) * Nasogastric probe * Iodine allergy * Asthma * Refusal or any pathology incompatible with passing one of the two reference exams or the sensors used * Any serious pathology (severe health or behavioral disorders) where, according to the investigator, this could expose participants to additional risks * Legal protection (guardianship, curators, safeguarding of justice) * Pregnant and lactating women Non-inclusion criteria for healthy volunteers : * Medical history may result in chronic (history of oral-rhino-laryngeal cancer or neurological disease) or temporary (upper respiratory tract infections) swallowing impairment * Presence of swallowing disorder or discomfort (Deglutition Handicap Index score superior or equal to 8) * Skin lesion(s) at the neck * Tracheotomy or tracheostomy (laryngectomy) * Nasogastric probe * Iodine allergy * Asthma * Refusal or any pathology incompatible with passing one of the two reference exams or the sensors used * Any serious pathology (severe health or behavioral disorders) where, according to the investigator, this could expose participants to additional risks * Legal protection (guardianship, curators, safeguarding of justice) * Pregnant and lactating women

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Deglutition Disorders

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Swallowing disorders

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

The places running it

4 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
The official record

ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

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A doctor treating you

A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Wearable sensors could spot swallowing disorders without scopes

What the study statuses mean