Dynamic Prosthetic Tongue for Oral Cancer Patients

Sanchez-Jean, Nicole

Student Work

Dynamic Prosthetic Tongue for Oral Cancer Patients

Public Deposited

The goal of this project was not only to develop a self-contained prosthetic tongue that could aid in deglutition but also to design a tongue that caters to the human aspect of our project by incorporating our stakeholders as one of the main design influences. Previous iterations of this project explore pneumatic, magnetic, and mechanical actuation methods. We conducted research to identify what aspects of each iteration could be redesigned or improved upon. The testing results that were available to us that were conducted on these previous iterations allowed us to define these concerns. In the development of our prosthetic tongue, the focus was on creating a biomechanically authentic and human-oriented design. The project transitioned from a basic concept to an advanced 'flapper' mechanism using extensive mathematical analysis to determine the optimal lengths and linkages for natural motion, alongside torque requirements for efficient gear actuation. Silicone was our choice for the prosthetic tongue coating. Although exact quantitative design specifications are still in development, our group considers this a critical aspect of our tongue prosthetic. Many different control mechanisms were researched, leading to the selection of Bluetooth over Wi-Fi for remote actuation, prioritizing safety regarding electromagnetic radiation. The design also shared detailed plans on adhering to industry standards for biocompatibility, ensuring the prosthetic's safety and functionality, a key consideration for its potential FDA Approval hypothesized to be a Class III device under 510(k) submission guidelines.

This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

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