In Germany, around 5 million people suffer from swallowing disorders. What can help: a drinking aid. And the Munich-based startup Iuvas has developed just such a thing. To further develop a product variant of its "Sippa" drinking aid for long-term use at home and in nursing homes, the young company is now launching a crowdfunding campaign on Startnext. A total of 50,000 euros are to be collected.
Caring for people with swallowing disorders typically requires a high level of care. With a crowdfunding campaign, the four Munich-based founders Sinan Denemec, David Fehrenbach, Moritz Knoblauch, and Jonas Zimmermann want to change this. They aim to raise a total of €50,000 to further develop their Sippa drinking aid for long-term use at home and in care settings. The young company has already launched a Variante for hospitals.
Comfortable and safe fluid intake
The Sippa drinking aid is designed to provide people with swallowing difficulties with the possibility of drinking fluids comfortably and safely. When completely emptying a conventional cup, the head must be stretched backward. This is no longer possible for many people due to limited mobility. Furthermore, this stretching opens the airways, similar to the first aid procedure, and increases the risk of choking. If choking occurs while drinking, it can cause pain for the patient. In particularly severe cases, patients are too weak to cough up the swallowed fluid, increasing the risk of pneumonia.
Heart of the system: an elastic membrane
Due to the constant fear of complications while drinking, those affected drink less and thus fail to meet their daily fluid needs. The Sippa drinking aid is designed to enable those affected to drink without having to tilt their head back. The core of the invention is an elastic membrane that counteracts the drop in fluid level. This gives the affected person the feeling that they are always drinking from a full glass.
The new product variant is being developed for long-term use at home and in nursing homes. High user acceptance is crucial here. Sippa looks like a familiar drinking vessel, is stable, recyclable, and features a modular system. For example, handles can be attached as needed, there's a secure leak protection system, and the option of using the cup without the membrane function, allowing it to be used widely in residential groups and nursing stations.
So far, the Munich startup has been able to convince 148 supporters of its idea and collect around 9,000 euros (as of February 7, 2019).
