IOPI Northwest

What It Does and How It Helps

• tongue strength for tongue elevation, laterally-directed movements, and protrusion
• lip compression strength
• fatigability of the tongue and lip.

These measures aid professionals inolved in the treatment and study of disorders affecting swallowing, speech, and eating by:

• objectively documenting deficits that justify treatment
• diagnostically differentiating between muscle weakness and problems of motor control
• motivating patients by showing them their progress from muscle exercise therapy.

How It Works

The IOPI measures the strength of the tongue by measuring the maximum pressure that an individual can produce in a disposable standard-sized tongue bulb by pressing the bulb against the roof of the mouth with the tongue "as hard as you can." The peak pressure achieved is displayed on a large, easy to read, LCD. The units displayed are kilopascals (kPa), using the internationally recognized unit of pressure, the Pascal.

Lip compression strength depends on the strength of the muscle that encircles the mouth, the obicularis oris. The strength of this muscle is measured by having an individual compress an IOPI bulb between the lips or under the cheek at the corner of the mouth.

Fatigability of the tongue and lip is measured by having the patient hold 50% of their maximum pressure for that structure as "long as you can." To do this, the patient watches a verical array of 9 LED lights and maintains enough pressure to keep the middle (green) light on. A digital clock inside the IOPI times how long they can do this.