ViVO - Model TIM Tubes - Liquid Thickness Descriptors

TIM Tubes™ contain four silicone oils of fixed viscosities aligned to both International and National Descriptors of Fluid Texture¹ written by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and The British Dietetic Association for the Management of Dysphagia.

Reduce the risk of aspiration pneumonia for dysphagia sufferers, the hospitalised elderly and people in care homes.

Thickened fluids and drinks are frequently prescribed for patients as a therapeutic treatment for dysphagia. However, achieving the correct consistency reliably is challenging when only written descriptors of the different stages of fluid thickness can be referenced.

Patient Safety

TIM Tubes™ helps to remove user error in preparing and assessing thickened drinks that can impact patient safety for people suffering stroke, cancer, head injuries, mental health and learning disabilities; as they can choke or aspirate on liquids that have not been thickened correctly leading to discomfort, unplanned hospital admissions and mortality.

Languages & Terminology

• Removes international language differences and educational barriers of caregivers.
• Enables clear visual assessment without the need for reading or written descriptions.   
• Removes confusion with different language terminologies of liquid thickness descriptions.

Health Economics & Care Continuum

• Reduce risks of hospital admissions from aspiration or choking.
• Cost effective visual aid for healthcare professionals and caregivers.
• Improves patient safety & wellbeing in Hospitals, Nursing & Care homes.

Benefits to Healthcare professionals, Hospitals and Care Homes 

• Training Aid: For healthcare professionals, carers, individuals and family members to accurately prepare and assess thickened fluids & drinks for people with dysphagia and swallowing difficulties. 
• Improve Patient Safety: Ensures safer practice by reducing preparation errors and user variation in assessment of consistency modification of thickened fluids & drinks.
• Standardised Thickness Comparators: Demonstrates the thickness and flow rates of the four stages of fluid thickness aligned to the National Descriptors of fluid modification.

Rotating a TIM Tube™ enables you to visualise and assess the viscosity and thickness of Naturally Thick, Stage 1, Stage 2 or Stage 3 compared against a thickened drink reducing error and subjectivity of consistency assessment.

The table below illustrates the TIM Tubes Thickness Indicator Model and how TIM Tubes™ are aligned to descriptors of fluid consistency.