Process and arrangement for the production of a signal that corresponds to the opening status of the vocal cords of the larynx

An apparatus for producing a signal which corresponds to a movement of the vocal cords of the larynx, comprising:

• an emitter attachable to a throat of a patient and configured to illuminate the vocal cords with light having a wavelength longer than 600 nm;
• an endoscope configured for insertion into a pharynx of the patient;
• an endoscopic light source configured to stroboscopically illuminate the vocal chords with visible light simultaneously with the emitter in a manner which allows modulation of the light having a wavelength of longer than 600 nm without interference from the visible light and without the visible light interfering with the modulation of the continuous light;
• and
• a sensor configured to detect a vocal chord signal in the form of light having a wavelength longer than 600 nm modulated by the movement of the vocal chords.

An apparatus for producing a signal which corresponds to a movement of the vocal cords of the larynx, comprising:

• an endoscope configured for insertion into a pharynx of a patient;
• an emitter attached to the endoscope and configured to simultaneously stroboscopically illuminate the vocal cords with visible light and with light having a wavelength longer than 600 nm in a manner which allows modulation of the continuous light without interference from the visible light and without the visible light interfering with the modulation of the continuous light;
• and
• a sensor attachable to a throat of a patient and configured to detect a vocal chord signal in the form of light having a wavelength longer than 600 nm modulated by the movement of the vocal chords.

A method for producing a signal which corresponds to a movement of the vocal cords of the larynx, comprising:

• simultaneously illuminating the vocal cords with visible light providing stroboscopic examination of the vocal cords and with continuous light having a wavelength longer than 600 nm a manner which allows modulation of the continuous light without interference from the visible light and without the visible light interfering with the modulation of the continuous light;
• optically examining the vocal cords using the visible light;
• detecting light having a wavelength longer than 600 nm modulated by movement of the vocal cords;
• generating a vocal cord signal from the detected modulated light;
• performing at least one of displaying and recording the vocal cord signal;
• and
• providing a camera image of the vocal cords.