June 2007 • Observed
Big Gulp
Most of us swallow effortlessly when we are scared or anxious, during a business lunch, or over celebratory cocktails. But the millions with dysphagia have difficulty swallowing at all. Now the magnetically controlled Swallow Enhancement Device, designed by Product Development Technologies, makes it possible to trigger the act manually. With a simple squeeze, a handheld device prompts the titanium throat implant to open the esophagus, and everything from horror films to bubbly goes down easier.
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