Ampcare, LLC

Ampcare, LLC Ampcare is developing therapeutic neuromuscular stimulation technologies for dysphagia treatment.

AMPCARE, LLC was established in 2007 to develop therapeutic neuromuscular stimulation technologies for the treatment of dysphagia, or swallowing difficulties. Among other accomplishments, AMPCARE has built a strong patent portfolio, generated clinical data and has initiated US regulatory filings and recently received our initial FDA 510k clearance to market the first portion of our device portfolio. We are committed to delivering positive patient outcomes and innovative products specifically designed to meet the needs of the patient, medical professional and payer by improving the options and availability of dysphagia treatment techniques. AMPCARE’s unique treatment approach will allow for safer oral intake of food in populations who have difficulty swallowing.

If Med SLPs had a dollar for every time someone...🤷Looked confused and said, "Speech therapy? But my speech is fine!"🤦♀️...
01/29/2026

If Med SLPs had a dollar for every time someone...

🤷Looked confused and said, "Speech therapy? But my speech is fine!"

🤦♀️Didn't think our services were necessary for someone with "just a concussion."

🙎♀️Requested PT/OT only for a patient with cognitive or communication impairments (because they're on a regular diet, so "speech isn't necessary," right?).

🙅♂️Gave us pushback when we requested an instrumental swallow study.

🙍♀️Consulted us for a trach patient who was in fact a laryngectomy patient.

Y'all...we would retire early!

We see you, we recognize you, because we ARE you!

Comment below with something that would make you rich if you had a dollar for every time it happened at work 👇

01/28/2026

Looking to get your patients the fastest, greatest improvements in their swallow function?

Well good news! You can give your patients the absolute BEST dysphagia therapy option. You'll have more fulfillment & satisfaction in your career than ever before! ❤️

You'll also be giving your patients the gift of...
⭐️ Enjoying their favorite food or beverage
⭐️ Rejoining their family at the dinner table
⭐️ Participating in the many social activities that involve eating & drinking

Everybody wins with Ampcare🙌

Comment ESPTraining to learn more about our training options!

Parameters 101: Part 4️⃣Intensity, also known as amplitude, is the speed of the current flow generated by the stimulatio...
01/27/2026

Parameters 101: Part 4️⃣

Intensity, also known as amplitude, is the speed of the current flow generated by the stimulation device.

A low-intensity, weak current is similar to a lazy river at your local water park. A high-intensity, strong current is like level 4, raging rapids in Colorado.

In NMES, the current is typically delivered in small units called milliamps (mA).

Increasing the intensity will increase the depth of pe*******on and can, at a certain point, impact your patient's discomfort.

Think of the pie recipe again. More of one ingredient is not always good. Each ingredient must be present in the correct proportions to have the outcome (pie) that you desire. The same can be said for utilizing NMES in swallow therapy.

Take a deeper look at how NMES works in our course. Comment ESPTraining to register for a course today!

Drop any questions you have about NMES in the comments!

Parameters 101: Part 3️⃣👉Phase DurationPhase duration represents how long each pulse of stimulation lasts. It's measured...
01/26/2026

Parameters 101: Part 3️⃣
👉Phase Duration

Phase duration represents how long each pulse of stimulation lasts. It's measured in microseconds.
The higher the phase duration (ie: the longer the pulse lasts,) the deeper the stimulation goes.
Deeper stimulation may result in a more painful experience for the patient.

Ampcare has two phase duration options 50 microseconds and 250 microseconds. VitalStim offers one option at 350 microseconds.

Now you might be thinking, "Well, why wouldn't I want deeper stimulation? That would be more effective, right?"

Actually, you're not correct in that thought. You're not alone in it either...

Let's go back to the pie analogy. If a recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of sugar, and you add 2 cups, you just ruined your pie and maybe even caused some pain in your sweet tooth.

More is not better in this case. Don't believe us? Ask your patients that have had other NMES protocols used on their delicate swallowing musculature how good it felt... 9.5/10 will tell you Ampcare is much more comfortable and they're able to tolerate a full treatment session much more easily.

Take home message: Phase duration is how long each pulse is and determines how deep it goes and how painful it may be for the patient. Think of getting hit by a toddler vs. Mike Tyson. A toddler is definitely more tolerable.

Ready to do a deep dive into all things NMES? Comment ESPTraining to register for a course today!

Stay tuned for more Part 4️⃣ of the Parameters 101 series.

Parameters 101: Duty CyclePart 2️⃣!We know electrical stimulation parameters can be confusing and are most definitely no...
01/23/2026

Parameters 101: Duty Cycle
Part 2️⃣!

We know electrical stimulation parameters can be confusing and are most definitely not taught at any point in the educational journey for SLPs. So we're breaking it down one by one in this series for you to make them less confusing, and more digestible (pun very much intended.)

What on earth is a "duty cycle?"

Duty cycle is a fancy term for the time that stimulation is on and off during a treatment session.

For example, Ampcare's duty cycle is adjustable based on patient tolerance and performance.
Stimulation is always on for 5 seconds followed by a rest period of 25-15 seconds, depending on the patient.

As patients progress, we can reduce the rest period so they get more contractions in their therapy session.

Why is the duty cycle important?
Muscles can only contract so long/often before they fatigue and can no longer contract. Metabolic fatigue will set in and the muscle is biologically unable to produce a contraction after a certain point (this is different for every patient.)

So, if the goal of therapy is to get muscle contractions to improve their performance long-term, we can't blast the muscles with stimulation to the point of failure for 59 seconds and only let them rest for 1 second sixty minutes in a row. (This is the duty cycle of other NMES options.) The muscle would be unable to contract very early on in the session and you'd be wasting a whole ton of time making minimal progress.

Another possibility here is having patients that are very uncomfortable from such high amounts of stimulation and unable (or rightfully unwilling) to participate in therapy with you. They may tell you they feel a contraction before they actually do, in order to avoid such high levels of stimulation. In this case, you'd only be providing sensory stimulation, which is not nearly as effective as motor stimulation.

Take-home: muscles need adequate rest periods between contractions to allow them to recover and be ready to contract again. Nearly constant contraction for 60 minutes is just not possible.

Visit SwallowTherapy.com to learn more!

Part 1 of Parameters 101👇A parameter that is changing the game for dysphagia patients utilizing NMES? Frequency🙌Frequenc...
01/22/2026

Part 1 of Parameters 101👇

A parameter that is changing the game for dysphagia patients utilizing NMES? Frequency🙌

Frequency is a word you probably remember from your Speech Science course way back when. But, how does it apply to NMES and why should you care?

Frequency is defined as the number of pulses per second (pps), pulse rate measured in Hertz (Hz).

30Hz is sufficient to produce a smooth sustained/tetanic contraction in most muscles.

Higher frequencies (e.g. 50-100Hz) are more fatiguing and result in lower tolerance and adherence to the exercise protocol.

Ampcare's Effective Swallowing Protocol utilizes a frequency of 30. VitalStim utilizes a frequency of 80.

Got questions about NMES? Drop them in the comments!

01/21/2026

Basically, your patient's swallow muscles will gain the confidence of Michael Scott after Ampcare's ESP (but this time, it's warranted 😂)

TCU researchers studied 9 healthy adults, measuring laryngeal vestibule closure reaction time before and after ESP treatment.

Each participant performed 16 swallows - 3 pre-stimulation, 10 during stimulation, and 3 post-stimulation.

You know what they found?

🏃♂️➡️SIGNIFICANTLY faster airway closure time!

Imagine that - it's like upgrading your throat from dial-up to high-speed WiFi.

When a bolus is heading toward the airway, every millisecond counts.

The faster the laryngeal vestibule snaps shut, the better protected your patient is from aspiration.

🙏That's life-changing, y'all.

Those hyolaryngeal muscle fibers are getting faster, more coordinated, and more reliable at protecting the airway when it matters most!

Your patients deserve high-speed protection, not dial-up delays.

When the research backs up what you're seeing clinically, you can't help but feel a little like Michael Scott. 😎

👇Comment ESPResearch to get a deeper summary of the Ampcare literature!

Reference:
Watts, C. R., & Dumican, M. J. (2018). The effect of transcutaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation on laryngeal vestibule closure timing in swallowing. BMC ear, nose, and throat disorders, 18, 5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12901-018-0054-3

01/20/2026

Did you hear?

Dr. Matthew Dumican just published an article in Passy Muir's Aerodigestive Health about using NMES with tracheostomy patients, and his recommendations lined up exactly with Ampcare's Effective Swallowing Protocol (ESP)!

Dr. Dumican is an Assistant Professor at Western Michigan University. He is NOT affiliated with Ampcare. His job is to follow the evidence, wherever it leads.👏

In Dr. Dumican's article, he supports:
✅NMES only on the suprahyoid muscles (anterior digastric, mylohyoid, geniohyoid) - just like ESP
✅Warns against infrahyoid placement because it pulls the hyoid down, increasing aspiration risk
✅Emphasizes larger electrodes for patient comfort - what we designed since the beginning

☝️That level of detail matters!

Dr. Dumican cites Ampcare research throughout his article, including:
👉The TCU study showing faster laryngeal vestibule closure
👉Studies confirming ESP's effects on hyoid and laryngeal movement

We created ESP to solve a real problem, and we've spent 25+ years refining it based on what actually works in the clinic. And once again, researchers are confirming what we've known all along.🙌

Here's to dysphagia therapy grounded in solid science, the kind that holds up when independent academics put it under the microscope!🍻

Want to read a summary of evidence that backs up Ampcare's ESP?
Comment ESPResearch below!👇

Join us for our Hybrid Zoom Class TOMORROW, where you'll dive into the Effective Swallowing Protocol (ESP)! 🗓️ Date: Jan...
01/19/2026

Join us for our Hybrid Zoom Class TOMORROW, where you'll dive into the Effective Swallowing Protocol (ESP)!

🗓️ Date: January 20-21, 2026
🕒 Time: 3:00 – 5:00 PM CT (4:00 – 6:00 PM ET)
💻 Format: Online with interactive sessions!

Get ready to enhance your skills in dysphagia treatment with our unique blend of NMES and resistive exercises. This course offers 8 hours of advanced ASHA CE and is designed to empower you with the latest techniques to improve patient outcomes.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn from the best and connect with fellow clinicians! Register now and take your practice to the next level!

👉Comment "HYBRID" to register now!

Got your answer?!The answer is... C, thyrohyoid!While it sounds like it belongs with the hyoid elevators, the thyrohyoid...
01/19/2026

Got your answer?!
The answer is... C, thyrohyoid!

While it sounds like it belongs with the hyoid elevators, the thyrohyoid is actually part of the infrahyoid or "strap" muscle group.

Its role is to elevate the larynx toward the hyoid, not the other way around.

That subtle shift in mechanics can make a major difference in how we evaluate and treat swallowing disorders.

If you're an SLP looking to level up your dysphagia skills (and make sense of all these muscles), we've got something designed just for you!

Get trained in Ampcare's Effective Swallowing Protocol (ESP), an evidence-based approach that combines NMES, targeted exercises, and a posture device to restore swallow function safely.

📲Comment ESPtraining below to get started!

01/16/2026

We know y'all make eye-contact with strangers in restaurants who cough during their meal, but when it's your own patient who you just cleared for a regular diet...

WHEW😅 Prepare for the gut-sinking-to-your-feet feeling that we all know too well.

One thing's for sure, a LOT of SLPs experience this. It's the nature of healthcare and clinical decision-making!

We're here to help you MINIMIZE those experiences! Like Emma L., an Ampcare-certified SLP, once told us:
"I trust [Ampcare's] protocol. It's the first time in 15 years I’ve felt I’m giving my patients their best shot at safe, functional swallowing.”

📲Share this post with your SLP besties who know this feeling all too well (and are ready to try something new in their dysphagia therapy!)

Well...shucks...we love receiving testimonials and all, but being told we make SLPs' jobs easier AND the feel-good momen...
01/15/2026

Well...shucks...we love receiving testimonials and all, but being told we make SLPs' jobs easier AND the feel-good moments more frequent? 😭

That’s the kind of feedback that reminds us why we do what we do.

Every time an SLP feels more confident, more supported, and more hopeful, we know we’re on the right track.

Here’s to the SLPs, like Hannah, who show up, try new things, and never stop fighting for their patients’ best days. We’re honored to be part of your journey!

If you’re ready for more feel-good moments in your practice, comment “ESPTraining” to see how you can get certified and join this community👇

Address

Fort Worth, TX

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+16825612444

Website

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