Chattanooga VitalStim Plus Electrotherapy and sEMG Biofeedback System

Rehabilitate swallowing function with precision and confidence using the VitalStim Plus. This advanced therapeutic system combines neuromuscular electrical stimulation with interactive biofeedback to re-educate muscles essential for pharyngeal contraction. By bridging the gap between clinician guidance and patient effort, the VitalStim Plus creates a collaborative environment that accelerates recovery and improves outcomes for those suffering from dysphagia.

The system is designed to turn therapy into an engaging, visual experience. With Screen Mirroring technology, you can project live treatment progress directly onto a computer or tablet, giving patients a front-row seat to their own rehabilitation. This immediate visual feedback helps patients understand their muscle activity, encouraging them to increase the duration and effort of their swallowing attempts. Whether you are treating post-traumatic conditions or neurological impairments, the VitalStim Plus offers the flexibility to customize treatment plans or utilize preset programs, ensuring every session is tailored to the specific needs of the patient.

Key Features and Benefits

• Customizable VMS Treatment: Tailor your therapeutic approach with precision. The VMS treatment controls allow you to adjust parameters such as Phase Duration, Frequency, and Work/Rest times. Additionally, you can sequence stimulation across various channels to closely mimic the natural physiological swallowing sequence, ensuring a functional and effective therapy session.
• Interactive sEMG Biofeedback: Make progress visible. The system measures electrical signals in the muscles and displays them on-screen while amplifying them into audible sounds. This immediate feedback loop helps patients understand their muscle activity, encouraging increased effort and active participation in the rehabilitation process.
• sEMG + Triggered Stimulation: Bridge the gap between intent and execution. In this mode, the patient initiates a swallowing exercise using sEMG biofeedback. Once a preset threshold is reached, the device automatically switches to stimulation mode, increasing the exercise load and reinforcing the neuromuscular pathway.
• VitalStim Co-Contraction Mode: Deliver therapy with efficiency. The dedicated VitalStim waveform operates in Co-Contraction Mode, allowing up to four separate channels to deliver stimulation concurrently. This enables the simultaneous engagement of multiple muscle groups necessary for effective swallowing function.
• Integrated Education Tools: Enhance patient understanding and compliance with built-in educational resources. The device includes instructional videos for key therapeutic exercises—such as the Masako Exercise and Mendelsohn Maneuver—and an extensive anatomical library featuring images of anatomy, pathology, and treatment options.
• Bluetooth Screen Mirroring: Modernize your clinical workflow with Bluetooth technology that projects live treatment data onto a computer or tablet screen. This feature allows you to guide exercises more effectively and provides a larger visual interface to keep patients engaged and motivated throughout their recovery.
• Objective Outcome Measurement: Quantify your patient's journey. The data provided by the sEMG biofeedback offers the documentation required to objectively measure outcomes, track progress over time, and justify treatment plans to payers and referring physicians. With objective data, assessing functional changes over time becomes achievable.
• Customized Treatment Plans: Every patient is unique and requires an individualized treatment plan. With sEMG biofeedback, you can tailor exercises to the specific needs of each patient. The real-time visual representation of muscle activity helps therapists identify areas of weakness or imbalance that may have been overlooked in a subjective assessment.
• Interactive Patient Engagement: Visual biofeedback and screen mirroring technology keep patients motivated by allowing them to see their progress in real-time, turning repetitive exercises into achievable goals.
• Customizable Treatment Protocols: Clinicians can select from preset clinical programs or fully customize parameters to target specific muscle groups and rehabilitation objectives.
• Advanced Muscle Re-education: The system utilizes specific waveforms to recruit and strengthen the muscles necessary for swallowing, aiding in the coordination and function of the pharyngeal musculature.
• Objective Data Analysis: Move beyond subjective observation with technology that offers objective evaluation of swallowing patterns, helping clinicians track success and adjust care plans based on data.

Indications for Use and Intended Uses

The VitalStim Plus is a prescription device intended for use by or on the order of a physician or other licensed health professional. It is designed for specific clinical applications:

VMS™ Waveform

The VMS waveform is a square symmetrical biphasic waveform designed for application on the musculature of the face. Its intended uses include:

• Muscle re-education via external stimulation.
• Optional application of sEMG biofeedback for the prevention or retardation of disuse atrophy.
• Relaxation of muscle spasms in the treatment of swallowing musculature dysfunction (in post-traumatic conditions or after neurological insult with impaired neuromuscular function).

VitalStim Waveform

The VitalStim waveform is a square symmetrical biphasic waveform with an interphase interval pulse, applied to the swallowing musculature in the anterior portion of the neck. Its intended uses include:

• Muscle re-education of the swallowing musculature in the treatment of dysphagia from various etiologies (neurological and muscle disorders, stroke, respiratory disorders, etc.).
• Non-mechanical causes include neurological and muscle disorders, cardiovascular accidents, respiratory disorders with swallowing complications, iatrogenic conditions, fibrosis/stenosis arising from radiation, disuse due to stroke, intubation, or birth-related anoxic injuries, and trauma to the head and neck.

Surface EMG

sEMG is surface biofeedback for use on the swallowing musculature of the face and/or anterior portion of the neck. Its intended uses are:

• Surface electromyography biofeedback for relaxation training.
• Muscle re-education.
• Strengthening of swallow musculature.
• Improvement of coordination and timing of swallowing movements.
• Improving control and strength of the tongue and jaw muscles involved in chewing and food manipulation.
• Enhancing sensory awareness and motor control during swallowing.
• Monitoring progress in swallowing rehabilitation.

Standard Accessories