Feasibility of a novel wearable magnetic sensor device for swallowing assessment compared with videofluoroscopic swallowing study

Dysphagia is a common and serious condition, particularly among older adults, that increases the risk of aspiration and related complications. Standard diagnostic methods, such as videofluoroscopic swallowing studies (VFSSs), are resource-intensive, examiner-dependent, and not widely accessible. In this study including 50 patients, we evaluated the performance of a novel wearable device, Just Swallow (JS), that simultaneously records laryngeal movement using magnetic sensors and swallowing sounds using a piezoelectric microphone, compared with the VFSS. Acoustic analysis revealed significant correlations with the Penetration–Aspiration Scale and Bolus Residue Scale scores (ρ = 0.547 and ρ = 0.657, respectively; both p < 0.001), with good discriminative ability for predicting Penetration–Aspiration Scale scores ≥ 3 (area under the curve = 0.825) and Bolus Residue Scale scores ≥ 2 (area under the curve = 0.834). In contrast, displacement- and timing-based JS parameters showed only weak correlations with VFSS-derived measures. These findings suggest that, although JS-derived motion-based measurements have limited clinical value, the swallowing sound analysis using JS reliably reflects aspiration and residue. Therefore, JS may serve as a potentially useful, noninvasive screening tool for dysphagia monitoring, particularly for detecting delayed swallowing initiation and pharyngeal residue, pending further refinement to improve motion measurement accuracy.