The Mealtime Partner assistive dining device (often referred as the Partner) is a battery operated device that allows people to feed themselves without using their arms or hands. The Mealtime Partner, or Partner, increases the user’s independence while lessening their caregiver’s workload. Food is placed in the three bowls that come with the Partner. The bowls rotate until the desired food is located under the spoon. The spoon then dips into the bowl, scoops up the food, and presents a rounded spoonful of food very near the lips of the user. The user must lean forward slightly and remove the food from the spoon. This requires a small amount of neck or upper torso movement. (Around 1.5 inches, the length of the bowl of the spoon.) (Refer to User Profile for more details.)

The Mealtime Partner is designed to accommodate a diverse range of user seating and positioning needs. This is accomplished by mounting the Partner in a variety of ways: on its Support Arm, on a straight Support Shaft (2", 4", 6", 8", and 10" lengths), mounting it on legs (2",4”, and 6” legs are available), placing it on an over-the-bed hospital table, or, for small children, placing it directly on a dining table. Use of the Support Arm allows the Partner to be accessed by individuals who have nonstandard posture, eat sitting in a wheelchair, or, for some other reason, cannot sit at a table to eat. Mounting the device on a straight shaft, or legs, permits it to be placed on a dining table at the correct height for the user to access it. A hospital table allows individuals who are in bed to eat using the Mealtime Partner.

The Mealtime Partner is positioned in front and to the right of the user (from the user’s perspective). The bowl position and transparent design permits the user to easily view the contents of each bowl during the meal so that they will know what food selections are being offered. The offset positioning provides the user with a clear view of the dining environment and allows functioning in the normal mealtime social setting without their view being blocked.

The Mealtime Partner supports three bowls at one time although extra bowls of food can be prepared and the bowls quickly interchanged as food is eaten during the meal. Each bowl is clear and is designed to serve one cup (0.24 liters) of food. The depth and shape of the bowl provides the proper placement of food on the spoon as it scoops. The use of the appropriate Bowl Cover controls the quantity of food on the spoon. Bowl Covers are available with three different wipe edges: low, medium and high. They accommodate serving diverse food textures and provide for user preferences in the quantity of food served.

The Mealtime Partner serves a wide variety of foods that are usually eaten with a spoon or fork. Peas, mashed potatoes, breakfast cereal, pudding, fruit cocktail, coleslaw, etc. Larger foods like meats, sandwiches, pizza, cookies, salads, etc., require cutting into bite size portions so that the spoon can get under and lift them from the bowl. The bowls are designed to accommodate normal hot or cold foods and are both dishwasher and microwave oven safe.

Users can control the Partner using two adaptive switches, one adaptive switch, or fully automatically (using no adaptive switches), according to their functional and/or cognitive needs. The adaptive switches can be selected and positioned for the individual user.*

Most users will operate the Mealtime Partner using two adaptive switches as this access method offers the greatest control of the device and the quickest way of moving from one specific food choice to another. In the two-switch mode, one switch controls food selection allowing the user to move rapidly from bowl to bowl, while the second switch controls the spoon movement. The user has total control of both food selection and the pace at which each spoonful is served. However, for a few individuals, exerting effort, even the small amount necessary to activate adaptive switches, is very demanding. For those users the Partner can be operated using one adaptive switch or with no switches.

When operating the Mealtime Partner with one adaptive switch, the user depresses the adaptive switch to begin food selection. The three bowls rotate from bowl to bowl pausing briefly at each food selection. When the desired food is under the spoon, depressing the adaptive switch will stop the bowl and initiate the spoon action. The spoon will then continue serving food from the designated bowl until the switch is depressed again. After the switch is depressed again, the spoon will retract and the bowls will once again rotate from bowl to bowl. Also, if the spoon remains untouched by the user for a specified period, the spoon will automatically return the food to the bowl it came from and the bowls will resume rotating. Using one adaptive switch requires a minimal physical effort for the user, while providing faster access to the food of choice than gained through the automatic mode.

The automatic mode of operation provides for the person who either cognitively and/or functionally cannot use an adaptive switch. It does not require any effort on the part of the user other than taking the food from the spoon, thus it allows very frail users who fatigue easily, to conserve their energy. In the automatic mode the Mealtime Partner bowls rotate to a food selection and the spoon presents the food to the user. If the user does not touch the spoon, the food is returned to the bowl it came from, the bowls rotate to the next food selection, and the spoon serves that food to the user. This pattern of operation is continued until the food is taken from the spoon. Once the spoon is touched, the Mealtime Partner continues to serve that food selection until the user stops eating that food. When the user stops eating the food, it is returned to the bowl it came from and the bowls rotate to the next food selection. The food presentation sequence described above is restarted.

The Mealtime Partner provides an extremely wide range of functionality. As a user becomes more proficient, or their condition worsens, the Mealtime Partner functions can be adjusted to meet their changing need.

The Mealtime Partner will serve three full meals and three large snacks before requiring recharging overnight (4.5 hours maximum recharge time).

The Mealtime Partner is ready to use straight from the box. However, as mentioned earlier, all of the timing can be altered to suit the user’s preferences using the control panel.

MEALTIME PARTNER FEATURES

Reliable food pickup

Top of spoon wiped with bowl cover to control quantity of food on spoon

Bottom of spoon wiped to minimize dripping

Clear transparent bowls for easy food selection

Speed of eating can be easily adjusted to suit user

Can operate fully automatically, or, for quicker food access, can be controlled with 1, or 2 standard Adaptive Switches*

For switch users, multiple user switch settings available to accommodate a wide variety of users

Lightweight for portability, less than 10 lbs (excluding Support Arm)

Easy to clean. All surfaces can be wiped with damp cloth

Spoons and Bowls are dishwasher and microwave safe

Quiet Operation

Battery powered for portable operation

	Will serve a full days meals and snacks on one battery charging
	4.5 hour maximum battery recharge time. Partial recharge OK for quick restart

DESCRIPTION OF THE MEALTIME PARTNER