Design and Measurement of Articulatory Conditions for Physical Vocal Fold Models

Abstract

The measurement of articulatory conditions of human vocal folds is clinically important in assessing its vibratory characteristics. These vibratory characteristics exhibit the healthy state of human vocal folds. The assessment of human vocal folds is an in-vivo process involving complex examination. Hence physical models of human vocal folds (synthetic vocal folds) fabricated using flexible silicone compounds are considered as they overcome the accessibility limitations. An experimental setup is designed to assess the vibratory conditions of physical vocal folds. The synthetic vocal folds are housed in the phantom lung setup in a particular way to mimic the vocal pathway of human vocal folds. The phantom lung setup provides the necessary pressure to set the vocal folds in vibration. The synthetic vocal folds are tested for vibrations by adjusting the pressure conditions. The articulatory conditions or parameters (subglottal pressure, glottal airflow) and the fundamental frequency of vibrations of physical vocal folds are measured and compared with human vocal folds.