FAQ

How does STS™ work?

The STS™ uses the power of isometric progressive resistance exercise, which is rooted in exercise science and offers:

  • Precise Muscle Strengthening: The advanced sensors embedded in the personalized mouthpiece precisely measure tongue force at four different locations. This capability allows for targeted and effective muscle strengthening while accurately quantifying pressure in kilo pascals (kPa), representing the force distributed over a specific area.

  • Flexible Therapy Use Options: The STS™ enables a smooth and continuous transition between clinical and home settings, ensuring uninterrupted progress and maximum convenience. 

  • Personalized Mouthpiece Design: Mouthpieces are carefully engineered for durability and malleability to provide a personalized fit, ensuring a confident, comfortable, and consistent experience that maximizes treatment effectiveness and reliability.

  • Personalized Therapy Programs: Treatment plans are tailored to address specific requirements, focusing on swallowing musculature endurance, strength, and stability, to achieve therapeutic goals and maximize functional improvement.

  • Quality of Manufacturing: The STS™ has been meticulously designed for durability, accuracy, and reliability in measurements and performance.

General FAQ

  • A brief orientation is required. The STS™ includes user-friendly tutorials and a comprehensive instruction for use (IFU) manual. Speech Language Pathologist support personnel are available with responses in less than 24 hours.

  • The mouthpiece is designed for single patient use only to maintain structural integrity, hygiene, closed loop data management, and performance. Our product is FDA-registered as a single-user device, as a multi-user design would pose infection risks. Single-user design allows for precise customization and ensures consistent quality and performance. 

    Additionally, the device is intended for oral use and repeated exposure to bodily fluids, making it unsuitable for multi-user applications due to the risk of cross-contamination. Progia product warranty is only valid for single user.

  • The STS™ is a unique device with its cutting-edge design and advanced technology, offering a comprehensive solution suitable for both home and clinical settings. Engineered as a fully self-contained, closed-loop system, the STS™ prioritizes HIPAA security and enhances clinician efficiency. 

    Built on groundbreaking research in exercise science, the STS™ utilizes the principles of isometric progressive resistance exercise for dysphagia therapy. It features a handheld device with a personalized mouthpiece, equipped with advanced sensors to measure and track therapy progress and adjust goals as the user improves. The mouthpiece has a personalized fit for consistent and reliable placement, ensuring optimal effectiveness. 

    Additionally, the device is consumable-free, further enhancing its convenience and cost-effectiveness. The device pairs with an included user-friendly interface, providing immediate and actionable feedback on performance.

  • Built on groundbreaking research in exercise science, the STS™ utilizes the principles of isometric progressive resistance exercise for dysphagia therapy. [3]

  • No, the STS™ is designed to be a self-contained consumable-free device that does not require ongoing consumable expenses, providing a cost-saving advantage. Replacement parts or service parts (power supplies; mouthpiece cover, etc.) are available.

  • Rinse the mouthpiece with water, dry it with a towel, replace mouthpiece cover and store it in its designated storage case slot when not used. See IFUs for additional details.

  • STS™ benefits many individuals with dysphagia, but suitability can vary depending on the specific condition.

  • Generally, STS™ therapy is safe, but individuals with a silicone allergy should avoid using the device.

  • Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) can evaluate your needs and determine if STS™ suits your therapy plan. The STS™ device may also be prescribed by a qualified clinicians.

  • The kit and tools are available and consist of a variety of visual prompts and clinical tools. These tools allow the therapist to personalize therapy and educate patients.

  • To deliver a uniquely tailored patient centered home program, the clinician performs an initial assessment to determine each patient’s unique starting point, or baseline measurement. This baseline serves as the basis for a customized STS™ home exercise program, carefully designed to meet the patient’s specific needs and abilities at the time of their initial evaluation. 

    By focusing on individual progress, the clinician creates a personalized home program that is uniquely tailored to each patient’s tongue abilities, empowering the patient to achieve success at their own pace.

  • Please contact Progia Medical Distributor, Mainsail Medical, for purchasing inquiries: email at sales@mainsailmed.com or call (651) 300-7330.

    We have a reverse logistics process to support our sustainability endeavors. If the patient chooses to recycle upon completion of their therapy, please contact Mainsail Medical as noted above. A shipping label and container will be provided.

  • Please contact Progia Medical for further assistance: care@progiamedical.com or 952-300-7176.

Treatment and Therapy FAQ

  • Candidacy for use of STS™ is determined by the treating therapist, with consideration of a patient’s type of dysphagia, cognitive status, and overall treatment needs.

    • Your therapist will guide you through the setup process during your initial session.

    • Clinician Instructions for Use (IFU) provided in Training Kit and available on Progia Web-Site

    • Patient Instructions for Use (IFU) provided with each device.

    • Device orientation for Clinicians is available and recommended.

  • The STS™ provides a user-friendly platform for tracking progress, offering real-time feedback and a detailed record of achievements. With customizable therapy goals and an intuitive interface, users can effortlessly monitor their progress, gaining instant insights into their performance and advancement toward their objectives. Additionally, easy access to their history enables clinicians to check adherence and adjust the user therapy plan as needed.

  • Your tongue is a powerful muscle that does much more than you might think. It’s controlled by a group of muscles—four big muscles called the extrinsic muscles, and four smaller muscles called the intrinsic muscles.2 These muscles work together like a team to help your tongue move in many ways:

    • Protrusion (sticking out)

    • Retrusion (pulling back)

    • Elevation (lifting up)

    • Depression (moving down)

    • Lateral movement (side to side)

    • Rotation (circular motion)

    When you use the STS™, it can target the muscles responsible for strengthening specific tongue muscles that are weak; it’s like giving them a workout at the gym.

  • Numerous studies have investigated the effectiveness of tongue-strengthening exercises in various populations and conditions. [3-5,23]

  • Strong tongue muscles play a vital role in swallowing[1,3,9,23-25] reducing the risk of aspiration.[3,9] Tongue strength is crucial in dysphagia therapy for several reasons: [3,9,15]

    1. Swallowing mechanism: The tongue plays a vital role in swallowing, and adequate tongue strength is necessary to propel food and liquids through the oral and pharyngeal phases of swallowing.

    2. Food manipulation: Tongue strength helps manipulate food in the mouth, mixing it with saliva, and forming a bolus for swallowing.

    3. Airway protection: The tongue helps protect the airway during swallowing by elevating and moving posteriorly (back) to prevent food and liquids from entering the trachea.

    4. Pharyngeal clearance: Tongue strength assists in clearing the pharynx of residual food and liquids after swallowing.

    5. Compensatory strategies: In dysphagia therapy, tongue-strengthening exercises can help develop compensatory strategies to overcome swallowing difficulties.

    6. Rehabilitation: Tongue strengthening is an essential part of rehabilitation programs for individuals with dysphagia, helping to improve swallowing safety and efficiency.

    7. Impact on quality of life: Dysphagia can significantly affect an individual’s quality of life, and improving tongue strength through therapy can enhance overall well-being and independence.

  • Treatment frequency varies based on individual needs and the underlying cause of dysphagia and is determined by your therapist. 

    Contact Progia Speech Language Pathologist for additional questions, support or clarification at: care@progiamedical.com.

  • A comprehensive baseline assessment is conducted by a clinician with STS™ device to evaluate the user’s current tongue strength, endurance, and function. This assessment involves a series of tongue presses on the STS™ force sensors, including maximal tongue force measurements in kilo pascals (kPa), to determine the user’s specific needs and limitations. 

    Using the baseline assessment measurements, a unique algorithm calculates values the clinician utilizes to set personalized tongue therapy targets, which are then used to guide the STS™ Treatment program goals. The baseline measurements are a benchmark to track progress and adjust the treatment plan as needed, ensuring a tailored and effective therapy experience. 

    The clinician uses this information to create a customized program, selecting specific exercises, intensity levels, and treatment durations to address the user’s unique requirements and optimize their tongue function and swallowing abilities.

  • Progressing exercises with the STS™ is easy and straightforward. The STS™ device allows for adjustable resistance level: 

    • Press duration: How long to hold the tongue press.

    • Target duration: The amount of pressure a patient must maintain at or above the therapy target pressure.

    • Repetition count: The number of repetitions/lingual presses) for a single therapy session. 

    • Goal percent: The value that a clinician enters for the percent of maximum pressure. 

    These customizable features enable clinicians to tailor the therapy to the specific needs and progress of each patient, ensuring optimal outcomes for each sensor (front, back, left and right). Additionally, the STS™ device has software that tracks progress and provides feedback on performance, making it easier to monitor your strength gains and adjust your exercises accordingly.

  • The precisely calibrated STS™ measures pressure in kilo pascals. Data collected during treatment sessions with the therapist in the clinic and during home practice sessions are collected, stored, and available for review. A bar chart is generated at the end of each home therapy session, and a table and graph are available to both therapist and patient.

  • The STS™ is manufactured in an ISO 13485 compliant facility. Additional product details can be found in the Instructions for Use (IFU).

  • Progia Medical is dedicated to helping individuals suffering from dysphagia by following our vision to create a culture that puts patients first. We believe in prioritizing our core values of safety, efficacy, and care with our team members and customers. Through these efforts we can and will accomplish our goals.

    We are a Veteran and Disabled Small Business. Located and manufactured in America.

  • Progia Medical has local and global supplier partners in design, software development, component manufacturing, and final assembly.

    With over 50 years of combined experience, we understand supply chains and the inherent risks associated with them. Second source suppliers are identified and available to mitigate risk and create an organizational culture of completion and cost competitiveness.

  • No. Product Warranty is not valid if other power supplies are used by patient or therapist.

  • Yes. Power supplies, mouthpiece cover, and case can be sold individually. If the tablet or mouthpiece become damaged or unusable please contact Progia Medical Distributor, Mainsail Medical, for purchasing inquiries by emailing sales@mainsailmed.com.

  • Yes. The STS™ operates as a fully self-contained closed loop system, no patient names or identifiable information are stored within the device. Furthermore, the system is designed to solely interact with the designated hardware components, precluding any external interactions beyond these specified elements.

    The Bluetooth protocol used is BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) Revision 5.2. The only information transmitted via Bluetooth is the data captured by the mouthpiece sensors.