Internal laryngeal prosthesis
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsDonald W. Schoendorfer, Stephen A. Raymond
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An internally worn laryngeal prosthesis for laryngectomized patients is described. The prosthesis is worn internally at the end of a surgically constructed fistula leading to the base of the patient's vocal tract. Exhaled air powers a miniature vibratory mechanism whose output enters the vocal tract directly and supplies both a voiced and a voiceless sound source. A tube connects the other end of the prosthesis to the tracheostoma from which air from the lungs powers the prosthesis. The tube contains a valve which may be manually or automatically controlled to allow either speech or quiet breathing.
Claims9
A laryngeal prosthesis one end of which is adapted to be positioned at the inner end of a surgically constructed fistula leading to the base of the user's vocal tract, the other end of said prosthesis being adapted to be connected to the user's tracheostoma,
- the prosthesis comprising,
- a vibratory mechanism, adapted to be contained within said fistula near to and at the internal opening of the base of the user's vocal tract, said vibratory mechanism comprising a vibratory portion specifically to mimic vocal chord behavior, said vibrating portion not providing valving action,
- a tube connected at one end to said vibratory mechanism, said tube being adapted to be within said fistula but also extending beyond the external opening of said fistula so that the other end of said tube is outside the fistula,
- a breath port structure having one end connected to the other end of said tube, said breath port structure having another end adapted to be inserted into the tracheostoma, said breath port structure containing a breath hole capable of being closed when air is to be expelled from the lungs through said breath port structure, said tube, and said vibratory mechanism,
- said breath hole when not closed providing an opening adapted to expelling air from the lungs without the air passing through said tube and vibratory mechanism,
- said vibratory mechanism being adapted to being removably inserted into the fistula so that the innermost end of the vibratory mechanism is at the base of the vocal tract.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.