A Case Western Reserve University spinoff developing a neuromodulation device to help patients with breathing tubes swallow is looking to build a prototype of the device and begin a clinical trial early next year. The device is intended to replace existing tracheostomy tubes, and works by electrically stimulating a nerve in the neck to activate the vocal cord folds to simulate a swallowing motion. The company developing the device goes by the temporary title of BEAR, which stands for Biomedical Engineering and Research. The company was previously known by the informal title Swallowing Solutions, but that name was never intended to be the company’s long-term identity, according to Dustin Tyler, an associate professor of biomedical engineering at Case who is leading the research project.
