Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices – Artificial larynx – electrical
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-16
2004-05-11
Mei, Xu (Department: 2644)
Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices
Artificial larynx, electrical
C623S009000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06735315
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric artificial larynx which is an apparatus used by a person who cannot vocalize owing to an operation for removing the larynx for the reason of laryngeal cancer or the like to vocalize again.
2. Description of the Related Art
When the larynx is removed, the vocal cords which are a sound source for vocalizing are lost. Therefore, a person whose vocal cords have been removed cannot vocalize. However, even when the vocal cords are lost, articulating organs such as the tongue and lips still remain. Therefore, if a sound source can be formed in place of the vocal cords by any means, vocalizing which may be incomplete is possible.
Substitute vocalization means based on this principle include gullet vocalization, operational sound language preservation, electric artificial larynx and the like. The gullet vocalization is that a belch-like air stream is burst forth to make sounds which are changed by the tongue, lips and the like for vocalizing. This gull vocalization does not require an extra device and enables a person having no vocal cords to vocalize freely anywhere once he/she masters this technique. However, the gull vocalization involves such defects that it takes time to master this gull vocalization, it is difficult for a sickly person or aged person to master this and it is impossible to vocalize loud.
An example of the operational sound language preservation includes an artificial vocal organ disclosed by Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 6-133993. Since this artificial vocal organ is buried in the body, there is no trouble of carrying an extra device and a person having this artificial vocal organ can vocalize freely anywhere like the gull vocalization. However, the artificial vocal organ requires an extra surgical operation on the trachea and must be exchanged and cleaned every about 8 weeks due to the generation of adherents or bacteria.
The electric artificial larynx forms a substitute sound source in place of the vocal cords mechanically or electromechanically and this substitute sound source is introduced into the oral cavity to enable a person who had an operation for removing the larynx to vocalize. This electrical artificial larynx is used in such a manner that it is pressed against the cervical region of the human body and a switch is operated with a finger when the person wants to vocalize. Therefore, it has such troubles that this device must always be carried and the work of pressing the switch against the cervical region and operating the switch must be carried out every time the person vocalizes.
However, this electrical artificial larynx does not need long-time training like the gull vocalization and can be used by a sickly person and aged person with ease. Unlike the artificial vocal organ, a special surgical operation or regular exchange and washing are not necessary and the electrical artificial larynx is very easy to handle. Since the electrical artificial larynx has such advantages, it is indispensable as substitute vocalization means.
Conventional electrical artificial larynxes have a switch for turning on and off a substitute sound source. A person who had an operation for removing the larynx only turns on and off the substitute sound source by operating this switch with his/her finger to vocalize. It is a well known fact that when a non-handicapped person vocalizes, he/she changes the basic frequency and sound volume of the vocal cords according to the contents of vocalizing to express accent and intonation or change the tone of voice. In contrast to this, it is impossible to express accent and intonation or change the tone of voice with substitute sound sources formed by the conventional electric artificial larynxes because they are a substitute sound source having a fixed basic frequency and a fixed sound volume. As a result, they have a serious problem that the person who had an operation for removing the larynx can vocalize only in an unnatural voice.
The influence that this problem exerts upon the daily life of the person who had an operation for removing the larynx is extremely large. That is, a lot of mental anguish has been complained that he/she cannot be understood what his he/she says, his/her delicate feeling cannot be expressed, it is hard to vocalize over the phone, or vocalizing with another person makes him/her feel ashamed or irritated, or surprises another person because his/her voice is unnatural.
It is needless to say that the basic frequency and sound volume of the vocal cords must be changed to sing a song. However, since the conventional electric artificial larynxes can form only a sound source having a fixed basic frequency and a fixed sound volume as described above, it is impossible to sing a song with the electric artificial larynxes.
To solve the above problems, the applicants jointly developed electric artificial larynxes as disclosed by Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. Hei 7-433 and Hei 8-265891. The electric artificial larynx disclosed by Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 7-433 makes it possible to express accent and intonation or change the tone of voice while vocalizing by controlling the basic frequency and sound volume of a substitute sound source output from an acoustic converter according to information on respiration and the like detected by biological information detecting means. Therefore, it is possible to vocalize in a more natural voice.
Information for controlling the basic frequency and sound volume is recorded in an information recording medium in advance so that the basic frequency and sound volume of the substitute sound source output from the acoustic converter can be controlled according to information read from this information recording medium. Therefore, especially when information for controlling the basic frequency and sound volume is predetermined as in the case that words and sentences which are used frequently are vocalized or a song is sung, a great effect is obtained.
Further, the electric artificial larynx disclosed by Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 8-265891 comprises a switch for turning on and off a sound produced from an acoustic converter and a unit for changing the basic frequency and volume of the sound which is integrated with the switch. Therefore, operation efficiency is greatly improved, accent and intonation are easily expressed, a more natural voice can be obtained, and the device can be reduced in size and cost.
Since a piezoelectric sounding body or electronic sounding body is used as the acoustic converter, reductions in size and cost are possible and a more natural voice can be obtained due to quick response and a wide frequency band.
Thus, the electric artificial larynxes developed by the applicant solve the problems of the prior art, greatly improve the quality of sound, produce a sound similar to a human voice and enhance convenience.
However, the electric artificial larynxes disclosed by the above publications still have a problem with operation efficiency which is one of the defects of the prior art. That is, all the electric artificial larynxes of the prior art produce a sound by applying a sound source generating unit to the cervical region of an operator and operating a switch for turning on and off the sound source while holding the body with one hand. The body of each of the devices incorporates a control circuit for controlling the sound source generating unit and a power source unit for supplying power to the sound source generating unit in addition to the sound source generating unit and has a total weight of more than 100 g and a length of more than 10 cm.
The body of this electric artificial larynx must be brought up to the cervical region each time an operator wants to vocalize, which is an operation trouble for the operator (a person whose had an operation for removing the larynx). Since the electric artificial larynx must be operated by holding the body with one hand, only the other hand can be used while vocalizing. There
Ifukube Tohru
Koikeda Akira
Sugai Yasunori
Takabatake Shinichi
Yamaguchi Yoshinori
Chin, Esq. Stephen M.
Densi, Inc.
Mei Xu
Pendleton Brian
Reed Smith LLP
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