Saliwell miniature in-mouth electronic saliva stimulator

Saliwell is a miniature electronic saliva stimulator, about the size of a tooth crown. This uses the basic principle of the earlier Salitron device, but carried further by making it miniature and remote-controlled. Miniaturization means it can work full time, instead of only when the patient interrupts her day to suck on electrodes.

A status report on the Saliwell development project as of 26 April 2004: "...our electronic engineers have been succesful in completing and assembling all the components of the Saliwell micro-device. Furthermore, first results from the initial, non-surgical trial (with the removable stimulating device) have showed very promising outcomes. Now, only the multicentric clinical trial with the implantable micro-device remains to be performed."

This device looks like if it works, it could be most useful to people with dry mouth who cannot tolerate or do not respond to pilocarpine or Evoxac.

More information about the project to develop this is available at the links below. As of April 2004, this information seems to all be written from the researcher's standpoint, not the patient's. Perhaps when they conduct a larger trial they will provide more patient-friendly information.


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