Electronic Artificial Larynx: "Electrolarynx (EL)"

Background & Theory Experiment References


The artificial electronic larynx, or electrolarynx (EL) is a way to give a person the ability to communicate. It is a piece of technology that is useful for so many people around the world. The EL is typically used for a person that has gone through a procedure called a laryngectomy, this is the removal of the larynx. A person needs to go through this type of surgery usually because of a cancer that is affecting the larynx. Though this surgery is a way to save a patient's life, they wake up to a completely different world, void of vocal communication. After the larynx is removed, a person has no way to use any form of voice. The EL provides an option for the patient to speak again, just in a different format. The EL is a way for a person to use the skills that they worked so hard to master throughout their schooling, such as grammar. The EL is a tool that can change a person's world into one where communication is a possibility.


Background and Theory:

Before a laryngectomy, a patient has their pharynx and larynx. After the laryngectomy, the pharynx and larynx have been removed and the patient is left with a stoma, which is a visible hole in the neck. Air that goes to and from the lungs is now going through the stoma instead of through the nose and mouth when speaking.

When using a normal voice, the muscles in the larynx are used to separate and bring together the vocal folds to produce speech. These muscles do not exist when a patient has their larynx removed. When the larynx is still in place the air flows up and vibrates the vocal folds which modify the air flow.

The EL is an electronic device that has a vibrator that consists as the main source to provide sound.The EL is placed on the neck where the glottis used to be located before the surgery. Vibrations from the device are converted into sound that vibrates through the neck tissues and is placed in the oral and pharyngeal cavities.






The patient uses only their mobile and immobile articulators to create speech:

Mobile Articulators

  • lips
  • tongue
  • soft palate
  • lower jaw

    • Immobile Articulators

  • skull
  • upper jaw
  • teeth
  • hard palate
  • alveolar ridge
    •

    These apparatuses are used to mold our air flow and sound from the EL into speech.

    Although I believe the advantages to having an EL outweigh the disadvantages, there are significant disadvantages.

    Advantages

  • Artificial voice source
  • Ability to use vocalization to create speech
  • Capacity for communication

    • Disadvantages

  • Limited amplification levels
  • Inability to change pitch
  • "Robotic" sounding voice
  • Speech recognition decreases
  • Speech intelligibility decreases
  • Noise from vibrating device itself