Researchers at INRAE have developed a synthetic mouth to breed and higher perceive the processing of soppy meals. The gadget relies on anatomical knowledge collected on the Fujita Well being College and includes a silicone tongue that contracts utilizing compressed air to imitate the actions of the human tongue. The outcomes had been revealed on October 15 within the journal Scientific Studies.
With a rising world inhabitants and getting old demographics, one of many challenges for the meals business is to have the ability to supply modern merchandise assembly the wants of individuals affected by age-related pathologies, comparable to sarcopenia or issues with salivation or swallowing.
Present in vitro fashions don’t at all times precisely reproduce the anatomy of the mouth or tongue actions and are subsequently of restricted assist when growing meals tailor-made to the particular wants of various populations.
On this context, researchers from INRAE and their Japanese counterparts at Fujita Well being College have collaborated to design the primary synthetic mouth with a tongue that may be programmed to simulate the contractions and actions noticed in vivo. The tongue is comprised of a silicone designed to breed the elasticity, wettability and roughness of the human tongue. It consists of three cavities that may be inflated and deflated by compressed air to precisely reproduce the actions noticed in people through ultrasound imaging.
This cutting-edge expertise was examined with three commercially accessible comfortable meals: a cream dessert, a chocolate mousse and a chocolate fondant. The meals boli obtained with the bogus mouth had been similar to the in vivo knowledge collected on wholesome members, by way of firmness, adhesive and cohesive properties and viscosity.
This gadget is a brand new asset for learning the dynamics of meals oral processing, and researchers have already begun work to incorporate mastication in subsequent designs.
Supplied by
INRAE – Nationwide Analysis Institute for Agriculture, Meals and Surroundings
