A fluid-saturated poroelastic model of the vocal folds with hydrated tissue

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop a continuous model to describe the vibration of the vocal fold with hydrated tissue. This model is unique because it is based on the fluid-saturated porous solid theory. Therefore, this new model can be used to study some vocal fold characteristics that would be difficult to predict using previous models. Numerical simulations show that this model can generate self-oscillation and that its phonation threshold pressure (PTP) is 0.555 kPa. The basic outputs of this model, including fundamental frequency, maximum lateral displacement, surface dynamics, and empirical eigenfunctions, agree with previous models and experimental studies, which validates this new model. The ability to simulate the flow of liquid through the tissue is one of the important advantages of this new model. It was found that the liquid in the vocal fold tissue could be accumulated at the anterior–posterior midpoint during phonation, which could cause a pressure increase in the liquid. The liquid pressure increased from 0.033 to 0.150 kPa when the subglottal pressure increased from 0.555 kPa (PTP) to 0.7 kPa. It was believed that the liquid dynamics in the tissue during phonation could be related to the development of some vocal diseases, such as vocal nodules, edema, and so on. Therefore, we expect that this model might not only provide a more appropriate description of the vocal fold vibration, but that it could also have clinical value in investigating certain vocal fold diseases.