IOPI Medical Q2 2025 Newsletter - IOPI Returns to the EU& Launches a Trainer Rental Program!

Spring is off to a chaotic but beautiful start here in the Pacific Northwest, and it is certainly blooming at IOPI Medical as well. With our return to the EU in May, (including a trip to Athens, Greece for the ESSD Congress in October), new staff joining the IOPI team, exhibiting at both AVASLP and SLEEP 2025, and the launch of our Trainer Rental Program, our spring is buzzing with activity and excitement.
Read on to find out more and see what we’ve been up to, and don’t forget to visit our website. It offers the latest news and research and gives you the opportunity to earn free CEUs with your choice of three courses, interact with our IOPI staff, and Patient Advocacy tools (have you seen the Dysphagia Cost tool?!). You can also use our Get a Quote page if you need pricing information. It’s quick and easy! Visit us at https://iopimedical.com/
If you are interested in learning more about IOPI Cares and our new Trainer Rental Program, visit us at https://iopicares.com/
You can also interact with us on Instagram iopimedical & Facebook IOPI Medical LLC for the latest news and information.
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IOPI Cares is about helping as many patients as possible with a patient centric approach in all that we do. Under IOPI® Cares, we are making wellness more accessible with our Trainer Rental Program. This program will allow you to provide your patients with the level of care and quality that only an IOPI device can give, with a level of accessibility we have never had before. Now THAT is a combination to get excited about!
While the official launch of the rental program is scheduled for May, you can register your interest now by visiting https://iopicares.com/ and clicking on Cares Clinicians. There you will find the simple steps it takes to become a Cares Clinician, making wellness more accessible for your patients.

As you may know, or at least guessed, when it comes to regulatory, being a medical device manufacturer is not easy, and the path to regulatory compliance certainly isn’t a quick one. But we are nothing if not persistent and are thrilled to announce that as of May, we will be back in the EU!!
While we have a strong presence there, and our distributors have been waiting patiently for our return, a major overhaul of regulations, meant we had to leave for longer than we would like in order to make sure all necessary requirements are met in the correct way. Could we have cut corners and sped up the process? Perhaps. Some certainly do. But that is not who we are. We hold ourselves, and our products to an incredibly high-quality standard, so that you, our loyal customers, whether local or across the world, get the very best so that you may in turn pprovide the best possible care to your patients.
Maybe you were unaware that IOPI Medical serves customers around the world. We have 18 distributors, covering 33 countries, and hope to be onboarding several more in the coming months. Is there a particular international distributor that you have worked with who you think would be a match for us? Please feel free to drop us a line, info@iopimedical.com.

IOPI Medical will be exhibiting at the AVASLP conference in Cincinnati this month. If you will also be in attendance, make sure to stop by our booth.
This year’s conference focuses on a variety of topics related to the practice of speech-language pathology within Veterans Health Administration and Defense Health Agency medical settings. At the conclusion of this program, participants will be able to describe and apply the most recent advances in the assessment and treatment of Veterans and Active-Duty Service Members with disorders of communication, cognition, and swallowing.

Find more information at https://avaslp.org/avaslp-conference-2021-2/

IAs you have no doubt heard, IOPI Medical entered the sleep market going on three years now. In June we will be attending SLEEP 2025 in Seattle to not only share our value in the in the battle against obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but also to demonstrate the value of our Trainer Rental Program for patients suffering with it.

Research has shown there are benefits of using the IOPI to combat OSA.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a widespread problem. The estimated prevalence is approximately 22% in males and 17% in females (Franklin & Lindberg, 2015). Researchers and clinicians are increasingly using the IOPI to assess and treat OSA.

Although more data is needed, the preliminary findings of multiple studies indicate the benefits of the IOPI for individuals suffering from OSA. IOPI is excited about the possibility of offering hope to the millions suffering from OSA.

Franklin, K. A., & Lindberg, E. (2015). Obstructive sleep apnea is a common disorder in the population-a review on the epidemiology of sleep apnea. Journal of thoracic disease, 7(8), 1311–1322. https://doi.org/10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2015.06.11

We’d like to introduce you to Jen Lillie, our new Customer Service Representative. Jen is the first point of contact for many of our customers and is ready to help with whatever your IOPI needs may be.
With years of experience in customer support, Jen brings a detail-oriented and dependable approach to taking care of IOPI customers. She has also proven a valuable support to her fellow IOPIians and plays a key role in keeping our offices running smoothly.
Outside of the office, Jen enjoys spending quality time with her family exploring the breathtaking landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. Whether it’s hiking through moss-covered forests, discovering hidden waterfalls, or taking in the views from mountain trails, she finds peace and inspiration in the region’s natural beauty. Jen also loves gardening, cooking, and embracing the simple joys of outdoor living.
Many of you will have worked with Harley in the past when placing your orders, and while Harley is still with us, she has moved into a role as our Customer Success Manager & Project Coordinator. As our CSM you are likely to hear from her from time to time just to make sure you are happy, and things are going well with your IOPIs.

Many of you may already be familiar with our esteemed Clinical Consultant, Ed Bice, but did you know, you can learn from him from the comfort of your office or home?
IOPI Medical offers ASHA Continuing Education Units with our FREE courses.

Choose from:

The Role of Oral Musculature in Swallowing and the Therapeutic Benefits of the IOPI, reviewing the oral musculature and its essential functions, as well as explore exercise principles and how the IOPI can be integrated into a dysphagia treatment plan.

Building a Therapy Program from the Ground Up, examining current evidence related to the assessment and treatment of dysphagia and providing practical suggestions for a path forward.

IOPI Research Updates, summarizing recent findings related to the IOPI.

Click for more information or to register, All Courses (thinkific.com)

Being involved in research projects has helped me understand certain areas better, but more often than not, it raises even more questions than it answers. These questions push me to dive deeper into specific concepts, which usually leads me to realize that I might not fully understand the words I often use when talking about swallowing and dysphagia. It’s like the path forward always takes me back... back to questioning my basic knowledge of swallowing. But every time I revisit those fundamentals, I learn something new, gain more insight, and end up with even more questions.
In this issue of the newsletter, I wanted to share some articles that dig into the neurological aspects of swallowing while also offering practical clinical applications. I hope you find them insightful and that they spark your curiosity as much as they did mine. Ed M. Bice, M. Ed., CCC-SLP

The Pathway from Anatomy and Physiology to Diagnosis: A Developmental Perspective on Swallowing and Dysphagia

Mayerl, C. J., Gould, F. D. H., Adjerid, K., Edmonds, C., & German, R. Z. (2023). The Pathway from Anatomy and Physiology to Diagnosis: A Developmental Perspective on Swallowing and Dysphagia. Dysphagia, 38(1), 33–41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-022-10449-x

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9579268/

The aim of the article is to highlight the connections between underlying anatomy, physiology, and clinical presentation. Specifically, the authors argue that the interchangeable use of terms such as performance, function, behavior, and physiology hampers a clear understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms. The article first emphasizes the significance of understanding anatomy in relation to physiology and performance, followed by an example involving preterm infants and their swallow-breathe coordination. The example underscores the hierarchical nature of physiology and its influence on performance. Lastly, the authors identify gaps in current knowledge and propose a framework to help clinicians design more effective interventions for patient rehabilitation.

Specific Vagus Nerve Lesion Have Distinctive Physiologic Mechanisms of Dysphagia

Gould, F. D. H., Lammers, A. R., Mayerl, C. J., & German, R. Z. (2019). Specific Vagus Nerve Lesion Have Distinctive Physiologic Mechanisms of Dysphagia. Frontiers in neurology, 10, 1301.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2019.01301

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6920241/

Swallowing is complex at anatomical, functional, and neurological levels, and the connections between these levels remain poorly understood. The complexity means that multiple failure points can lead to the same pathophysiology. For instance, the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) and the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) are branches of the vagus nerve that innervate different structures. While each branch has its own sensory field, damage to either nerve is associated with an increased occurrence of aspiration. To explore the underlying mechanisms, researchers studied kinematic changes in pigs with lesions to the SLN or RLN. They found that RLN lesions altered posterior tongue movement, while SLN lesions did not. Additionally, the duration of epiglottic inversion was shorter in pigs with SLN lesions but not in those with RLN lesions. Though both nerve lesions ultimately led to the same clinical outcome—aspiration—the mechanisms of failure were distinct. The findings suggest that clinicians should investigate the underlying cause of the failure mechanism to select the most appropriate interventions, potentially improving patient outcomes.

‘Unilateral Middle Cerebral Artery Infarction and Airway Protection in Swallowing

Park, T., Youngsun, K., Thomas, M., Oh, B. (2025). Unilateral middle cerebral artery infarction and airway protection in swallowing. Journal of Speech-Language & Hearing Disorders, 34(1), 87-94.

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The authors conducted an online survey with thirty adults who have dysphagia, four supporters of individuals with dysphagia, and eighteen allied health professionals. Participants with dysphagia reported that the condition and texture-modified foods had a more significant impact on their physical health than on their choice and control or social engagement. However, after physical health, the area people with dysphagia rated as most impacted was social engagement. Supporters and allied health professionals felt that dysphagia affected both the physical health and the sense of choice and control of those with the condition. Across all groups, participants agreed that mealtime enjoyment, participation, and inclusion were influenced by factors such as the control a person had over their meals, the accessibility of the mealtime environment, and the attitudes of others.

The Role of the Cerebellum in Swallowing

Sasegbon, A., & Hamdy, S. (2023). The Role of the Cerebellum in Swallowing. Dysphagia, 38(2), 497–509. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-021-10271-x

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10006062/

The cerebellum plays a crucial role in regulating movement by receiving input from both motor cortical and sensory areas, which it refines to generate coordinated motor outputs. In relation to swallowing, several functional imaging studies have shown increased cerebellar activity during the act of swallowing, and damage to the cerebellum due to various pathological conditions is linked to dysphagia. The review article explores the current understanding of the cerebellum's role in swallowing control, highlights new findings from neurostimulation and imaging studies, and discusses the potential clinical applications of cerebellar stimulation in treating dysphagia. The review suggests that the cerebellum is an essential component of swallowing motor control. However, some research raises questions about the cerebellum's role in the neurological coordination of swallowing. Studies involving stroke patients have found that isolated and discrete cerebellar lesions are unlikely to cause dysphagia directly. The seemingly contradictory findings may be reconciled by considering the neurophysiological control of swallowing is driven not, as may be expected, by a single large circuit encompassing all swallowing-related brain areas, but instead by multiple modular swallowing circuits, each interacting with and running parallel to each other.

To help you achieve the greatest level of success for your patients, we continue to provide you with the necessary Purchasing Advocacy tools, as well as clinical support.

Our Purchasing Advocacy tools can be found on our Medical Professionals page. Here you will find our IOPI Dysphagia Cost Tool as well as a ready-to-use Benefits of IOPI for Dysphagia PowerPoint. Just populate it with information specific to your patient’s needs.

You also have clinical support at your fingertips. Our clinical consultant, Ed M. Bice, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, is available to mentor through the advocacy process to assess and report the estimated cost of dysphagia to your facility. You can reach Ed for a patient consultation or clinical question by calling (844) 844-IOPI or emailing ed@iopimedical.com.

To access our IOPI Dysphagia Cost Tool, the Benefits of IOPI for Dysphagia PowerPoint, and tips on advocating for your patients, please visit: https://iopimedical.com/purchasing-advocacy/