Can a normal person use an electrolarynx?
To be able to use an electrolarynx, you need training from a speech and language therapist and plenty of practice. The speech has a mechanical sound to it but most people can make themselves understood. Some of the machines have buttons to vary the pitch or tone of the sound made by the electronic larynx.
Why do people use electrolarynx?
An electrolarynx, sometimes referred to as a “throat back”, is a medical device about the size of a small electric razor used to produce clearer speech by those people who have lost their voice box, usually due to cancer of the larynx.
Where is the sweet spot on an electrolarynx?
The easiest way to find your sweet spot is by tightly pressing the electrolarynx Top Cap in different locations on your neck area and articulating a single vowel “A” while pressing a speech button. What you are looking for is the place on your neck, which best transmits the sound.
Why does electrolarynx sound monotone?
By pushing the button and placing the device against the skin of the neck, vibrations are transmitted into the oral cavity and can be used to form words. This produces a monotone, “computer” voice. Esophageal speech is another form of speech rehabilitation.
How does electrolarynx change pitch?
Use the plastic screwdriver to adjust the pitch until you are happy with it. it will be a small challenge to do this yourself — hold the button on one side and turn the screw on the other. When it is around where you think you want it — try it on your neck. It will change pitch a bit when it has resistance.
Who invented the electrolarynx?
Laryngectomy patients also use an electrolarynx to facilitate speech following their surgery. Harold Barney in Bell Laboratories, New York, originally invented the device in the late 1950s and its design has remained largely unchanged since.
How does an electrolarynx work?
This small, battery-operated device is placed directly on the neck, under the chin, when you want to speak. When you push a button on the device, the electrolarynx produces a vibration that is transferred through the skin to the throat. You shape this sound into words with the mouth, tongue, lips, and teeth.