ElectroLarynx

1)An electrolarynx is a device which is intended to reproduce the role of the larynx in speech in patients who have experienced cancer or other conditions which necessitate the removal of the larynx. This speech assistance device helps people communicate in a way which is comfortable and familiar. Numerous medical device companies make electrolarynx products which come in several different configurations to meet different needs. In order to produce speech, the end of the electrolarynx is placed against the neck and a small button is pushed. The device causes a vibration at the vocal folds, which simulates a natural process. The speaker then articulates a word using the tongue, palate, throat and lips as usual. The electrolarynx is a handheld battery powered device

about the size of an electric shaver that has a vibrating plastic diaphragm. Several such devices as the examples shown below are

now on the market for people to purchase. Devices like the Servox are rechargeable and have

volume and pitch control.

2)Fig. 1(a) illustrates the intra-oral electrolaryngeal speech aid system we developed. The system consists of a denture-base intra-oral vibrator, a wireless miniature ngertip switch and a controller. The intra-oral vibrator, as shown in Fig. 1(b), generates substitute glottal sounds in the oral cavity, which are articulated in the vocal tract and transformed into speech. The denture-base intra-oral vibrator can be xed by spring supports for those who do not use a denture. The vibrator embedded in the articial teeth is a commercially available electromagnetic speaker. The diameter of the tympanum is 10 mm and the impedance of the coil is 60 V. The thickest part of the denture due to the deposits is approximately 10 mm. The vibrator receives power and control signals through a xed wire from the controller. The vibrator and wire are covered with polyurethane or silicone rubber so as not to be damaged by saliva. The controller receives infrared commands from the ngertip switch and generates the control signals. The infrared photo acceptance unit is wired from the

controller and equipped at a properly exposed location of the body. Fig. 1(c) shows the ngertip switch, which includes a button type 1.5 V lithium battery, circuitry and infrared photodiode. It has two push button switches for providing commands of voicing and accent to the controller through an infrared communication. On the basis of the voicing and accent commands, the controller generates the control signals by a binary pitch control method, which generates the funda-mental frequency contours of Japanese word accent [15]. The control method decomposes each pitch pattern of a Japanese word into a voicing component and an accent component. For example, in standard Japanese, the pitch pattern of the voicing component rises quickly at the beginning of a word and decreases slowly toward the end, whereas that of the accent component changes slowly in both the initial rise and the drop that follows. Binary commands of voicing and accent provide input for pitch pattern generation using these characteristics. The voicing and accent binary commands are converted into the voicing and accent signals by the given step responses, respectively. Summing the voicing and accent control signals produces the glottal control signal, and the glottal oscillation mechanism converts it into a glottal frequency contour. The weight of intra-oral vibrator, ngertip switch and controller are 15, 10 and 170 g, respectively. The size of the controller we have developed is 120 mm 80 mm 25 mm. The controller, which is powered by a commercially available 9 V battery with a capacity of 700 mAh, consumes 160 mA for activating the vibrator and 5 mA on standby. The vibrator produced approximately 100 dBSPL at a funda-mental frequency of 125 Hz, where the background noise was 49 dBSPL, when a sound level meter (Rion, NL04) placed 20 cm in front of the vibrator measured the equivalent sound level. This sound level, which is almost the same as that of the conventional transcervical EL, is sufcient for regular conversatioFig. 1(a) illustrates the intra-oral electrolaryngeal speech aid system we developed. The system consists of a denture-base intra-oral vibrator, a wireless miniature ngertip switch and a controller. The intra-oral vibrator, as shown in Fig. 1(b), generates substitute glottal sounds in the oral cavity, which are articulated in the vocal tract and transformed into speech. The denture-base intra-oral vibrator can be xed by spring supports for those who do not use a denture. The vibrator embedded in the articial teeth is a commercially available electromagnetic speaker. The diameter of the tympanum is 10 mm and the impedance of the coil is 60 V. The thickest part of the denture due to the deposits is approximately 10 mm. The vibrator receives power and control signals through a xed wire from the controller. The vibrator and wire are covered with polyurethane or silicone rubber so as not to be damaged by saliva. The controller receives infrared commands from the ngertip switch and generates the control signals. The infrared photo acceptance unit is wired from the controllerand equipped at a properly exposed location of the body.Fig. 1(c) shows the ngertip switch, which includes a buttontype 1.5 V lithium battery, circuitry and infrared photodiode.It has two push button switches for providing commands ofvoicing and accent to the controller through an infraredcommunication. On the basis of the voicing and accentcommands, the controller generates the control signals by abinary pitch control method, which generates the funda-mental frequency contours of Japanese word accent [15].The control method decomposes each pitch pattern of aJapanese word into a voicing component and an accentcomponent. For example, in standard Japanese, the pitchpattern of the voicing component rises quickly at thebeginning of a word and decreases slowly toward the

end,whereas that of the accent component changes slowly inboth the initial rise and the drop that follows. Binarycommands of voicing and accent provide input for pitchpattern generation using these characteristics. The voicingand accent binary commands are converted into the voicingand accent signals by the given step responses, respectively.Summing the voicing and accent control signals producesthe glottal control signal, and the glottal oscillationmechanism converts it into a glottal frequency contour.The weight of intra-oral vibrator, ngertip switch andcontroller are 15, 10 and 170 g, respectively. The size of thecontroller we have developed is 120 mm 80 mm 25 mm. The controller, which is powered by a commerciallyavailable 9 V battery with a capacity of 700 mAh, consumes160 mA for activating the vibrator and 5 mA on standby. Thevibrator produced approximately 100 dBSPL at a funda-mental frequency of 125 Hz, where the background noisewas 49 dBSPL, when a sound level meter (Rion, NL04)placed 20 cm in front of the vibrator measured the equivalentsound level. This sound level, which is almost the same asthat of the conventional transcervical EL, is sufcient forregular conversation.n.

Now, what would be the innovation: Miniaturization of the device and making it handsfree About number 2 its already miniaturized but my wire pa and hindi pa talaga completely wireless tapos naka denture pa yung vibrator. So ilagay natin sa labas making it pure external electrolarynx plus making it wireless.

Considerations: If we miniaturized the vibrator providing we have a wireless controller can we get the same output as the regular one in terms of vibration level, sound produced and noise? Effectivity of the wireless controller to the vibrator.