Affiliations: Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology,
Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA | Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing
Engineering, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
Note: [] Corresponding author: D.R. Scarborough, PhD, Department of
Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, 26 Bachelor Hall, Oxford, OH 45056,
USA. Tel.: +1 513 529 2506; Fax: +1 513 529 2502; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Objective: Transitioning from a bottle to open cup drinking can be a
lengthy process in typical development. Children are often introduced to
training cups during this period. Due to a lack of standardization in
commercially available training cups, differences in design and performance
characteristics may potentially create medical complications in developmentally
delayed individuals. Our purpose is to report commercially available training
cup design characteristics, residual fluid, flow rates, and suction pressures
and discuss the potential clinical implications. Design: A testing apparatus was developed to determine suction pressure and flow rate. Nine
commercially available training cups were tested by two independent research
teams. Experimental data were filtered and then fit with a linear approximation
determined by a least squares method. Results: Commercially available
cups exhibited extensive variability in design parameters, suction pressure,
rate of flow, and residual fluid. Conclusion: The extensive variability
of design and function within current commercially available cups has clinical
implications for children with development delays such as the ingestion of air
and aspiration. Studying the variability of existing training cup performance
identifies characteristics that impact cup function which can influence future
cup design.
