シンポジウム 「喉頭摘出後代用音声の進歩」
発声支援デバイスの開発と今後の展望
2022 年 34 巻 2 号 p. 58-64
詳細
2022 年 34 巻 2 号 p. 58-64
When laryngectomy is performed for laryngeal or pharyngeal cancer, air from the lungs is expelled through the tracheostomy. The laryngeal primary tone, which is generated by the vibration of the vocal cords within the body, can no longer be produced, resulting in the permanent loss of the vocal organs. An electric larynx (EL) has been used as a means of communication for patients after laryngectomy since 1959. An EL is a cylindrical device that produces vibrations at the tip by pressing a button on its body. In other words, the device electrically produces a vibrating sound that replaces the original laryngeal sound. However, there are some problems: one hand is occupied when using the device, and only mechanical speech can be produced. Recently, a variety of devices have been developed to solve these problems. In this review, we will discuss hardware speech-assistive technologies, which we call speech-aid devices, including what they are and how they have been developed.
