Neck-worn artificial throat

Abstract

The invention discloses a neck-worn artificial throat which comprises a neck-worn shell, a key shell, a display screen shell and a sensor, the key shell and the display screen shell are fixedly connected with the two ends of the neck-worn shell respectively, and containing spaces are formed in the neck-worn shell, the key shell and the display screen shell; a circuit board is fixedly arranged in the accommodating space of the key shell, a microphone, an audio coding chip, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a communication module and a decoder are integrated on the circuit board, and a microphone port and keys are arranged on the key shell; a battery and a loudspeaker are fixedly arranged in the containing space of the display screen shell, a loudspeaker opening and a charging interface are formed in the display screen shell, and a display screen is fixedly arranged on the outer side of the display screen shell. The neck-worn artificial throat provided by the invention can be directly worn on the neck, and the sensor can be accurately positioned and adhered to the neck, so that the signal acquisition position is kept unchanged all the time, and the sensor can adaptively follow the dynamic change of the neck or the throat to prevent the signal from being interfered.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of medical rehabilitation equipment, in particular to a neck-worn artificial larynx. BACKGROUND

[0002] An electronic larynx is a device that assists in pronunciation, mainly used to help people who have lost their voices due to laryngeal diseases (such as after laryngectomy) or other reasons to restore some language communication ability. The core component of an electronic larynx is a vibration element. When the vibration element is working, it will produce vibrations of a certain frequency. The user attaches the working end of the electronic larynx to the neck or other sensitive skin surfaces (such as the throat or cheeks), and the vibrations are transmitted through the skin to the soft tissues in the oral cavity (such as the tongue, lips, teeth, etc.). When the user performs oral activities (such as opening the mouth, closing the mouth, tongue movement, etc.), the airflow in the oral cavity will interact with the vibrating soft tissues, thereby producing a voice-like sound.

[0003] Conventional electronic larynx products have a cylindrical structure (as shown in Figure 1 ), and the user needs to hold the device and attach the working end with the vibration element to the skin surface (usually the neck area). Through cooperation with the oral activities of the human body, the vibration element can generate voice-like sound waves through vibration, thereby achieving communication or expression. However, the existing electronic larynx products have the following defects:

[0004] 1. High manual cooperation requirement and long training period: the user needs to manually press the device tightly, and it takes a long time to adapt and train the use, increasing the use threshold.

[0005] 2. Insufficient positioning accuracy: manually pressing the device tightly can result in inaccurate positioning, and the signal collection point is prone to deviation, leading to unstable signals or unsatisfactory results.

[0006] 3. Lack of adaptive ability: the product cannot adapt to the dynamic changes of the neck or throat, which may cause discomfort or signal interference during use, affecting the overall user experience. SUMMARY

[0007] Therefore, the present application provides a neck-worn artificial larynx to solve the problem that the existing electronic larynx products need to be manually pressed tightly against the skin surface, and the signal collection point is prone to deviation and signal interference.

[0008] To achieve the above purpose, the present application provides the following technical solutions:

[0009] The neck-worn artificial throat comprises a neck-worn shell, a key shell, a display screen shell and a sensor, the sensor is attached to the neck, the key shell and the display screen shell are fixedly connected with two ends of the neck-worn shell respectively, and the inside of the neck-worn shell, the key shell and the display screen shell is provided with a containing space.

[0010] The containing space of the key shell is fixedly provided with a circuit board, the circuit board is integrated with a microphone, an audio coding chip, a CPU, a communication module and a decoder, the key shell is provided with a microphone opening, and the outside of the key shell is fixedly provided with a key; the containing space of the display screen shell is fixedly provided with a battery and a loudspeaker, the display screen shell is provided with a loudspeaker opening and a charging interface, and the outside of the display screen shell is fixedly provided with a display screen; the containing space of the neck-worn shell is provided with a data transmission line.

[0011] The battery is electrically connected with the CPU through the data transmission line, the microphone is electrically connected with the audio coding chip, the sensor is connected with the audio coding chip in a wired or wireless mode, the audio coding chip, the communication module and the decoder are electrically connected with the CPU, and the decoder is electrically connected with the loudspeaker through the data transmission line.

[0012] Preferably, the neck-worn shell, the key shell and the display screen shell are made of elastic plastic or flexible material.

[0013] Preferably, the shell further comprises a shell inner core, the shell inner core is provided with a wire slot, the data transmission line is arranged in the wire slot, and the shell inner core is arranged in the containing space of the neck-worn shell.

[0014] Preferably, the key shell and the display screen shell are fixedly connected with two ends of the neck-worn shell by means of pin, injection molding or adhesion.

[0015] Preferably, when the sensor is connected with the audio coding chip in a wired mode, the device further comprises a spring and a wire outlet, the spring is arranged in the containing space of the key shell, the wire outlet is arranged on the inside of the key shell, and the transmission line of the sensor is electrically connected with the audio coding chip through the wire outlet and the spring.

[0016] Preferably, the containing space of the key shell is fixedly provided with two first gear members, and the two first gear members are respectively located on two sides of the spring, and the free end of the spring is fixedly provided with a gear adjusting member.

[0017] Preferably, the device further comprises a second gear member, the second gear member is fixedly arranged on the display screen shell and located on the inside of the display screen shell.

[0018] Preferably, the neck-wearing shell has a U-shaped structure.

[0019] Preferably, the inner side of the key shell and the display screen shell is fixedly provided with a silica gel pad.

[0020] Preferably, the connection between the key shell and the neck-wearing shell, and the connection between the display screen shell and the neck-wearing shell are provided with shell barb structures.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the application has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0022] 1. The neck-wearing artificial larynx provided by the application comprises a neck-wearing shell, a key shell, a display screen shell and a sensor, the sensor is attached to the neck, the key shell and the display screen shell are fixedly connected to the two ends of the neck-wearing shell, and the neck-wearing shell, the key shell and the display screen shell are all provided with accommodation spaces inside; the accommodation space of the key shell is fixedly provided with a circuit board, the circuit board is integrated with a microphone, an audio coding chip, a CPU, a communication module and a decoder, the key shell is provided with a microphone opening, and the outer side of the key shell is fixedly provided with a key; the accommodation space of the display screen shell is fixedly provided with a battery and a loudspeaker, the display screen shell is provided with a loudspeaker opening and a charging interface, and the outer side of the display screen shell is fixedly provided with a display screen; and the accommodation space of the neck-wearing shell is provided with a data transmission line. The neck-wearing artificial larynx provided by the application can be directly worn on the neck, the sensor can be accurately positioned and attached to the neck, so that the signal acquisition position is always unchanged, and the sensor can adaptively follow the dynamic changes of the neck / throat to avoid signal interference.

[0023] 2. When the sensor is connected to the audio coding chip in a wired manner, the sensor further comprises a spring and a wire outlet, the spring is arranged in the accommodation space of the key shell, the wire outlet is arranged on the inner side of the key shell, and the transmission line of the sensor is electrically connected to the audio coding chip through the wire outlet and the spring. The transmission line of the sensor and the spring form a pulley structure, which can be stretched through the pulley knot, thereby effectively saving product space.

[0024] 3. The accommodation space of the key shell is fixedly provided with two first gear members, and the two first gear members are respectively located on the two sides of the spring, and the free end of the spring is fixedly provided with a gear adjusting member. The first gear member and the gear adjusting member can position the transmission line of the sensor at the required length. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0025] In order to more intuitively illustrate the prior art and the present application, exemplary drawings are given below. It should be understood that the specific shapes, configurations shown in the drawings should not be considered as limiting conditions in the implementation of the present application; for example, based on the technical concepts disclosed in the present application and the exemplary drawings, those skilled in the art can easily make routine adjustments or further optimizations to the increase / decrease / assignment of certain units (components), specific shapes, positional relationships, connection methods, size ratio relationships, etc.

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of an existing electronic larynx product;

[0027] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a neck-worn artificial larynx provided by the present application;

[0028] Figure 3 An exploded view of a neck-worn artificial larynx provided by the present application;

[0029] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a pulley structure of a neck-worn artificial larynx provided by the present application;

[0030] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a sensor transmission line positioning structure of a neck-worn artificial larynx provided by the present application;

[0031] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a second gear member of a neck-worn artificial larynx provided by the present application;

[0032] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a silica gel pad of a neck-worn artificial larynx provided by the present application;

[0033] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of a shell barb of a neck-worn artificial larynx provided by the present application;

[0034] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of a light channel of a neck-worn artificial larynx provided by the present application;

[0035] Figure 10 A side view of a neck-worn artificial larynx provided by the present application;

[0036] Figure 11 A front view of a neck-worn artificial larynx provided by the present application.

[0037] Explanation of reference signs:

[0038] 1. Neckband housing; 2. Button housing; 3. Display housing; 4. Sensor; 5. Microphone port; 6. Button; 7. Speaker port; 8. Charging port; 9. Display; 10. Inner core of the housing; 101. Cable channel; 11. Circuit board; 12. Battery; 13. Speaker; 14. Spring; 15. Transmission line; 16. First gear position component; 17. Gear adjustment component; 18. Second gear position component; 19. Silicone pad; 20. Housing barb structure; 21. Light channel. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0040] In the description of this application: unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more. The terms "first," "second," "third," etc., in this application are intended to distinguish the objects referred to and do not have any special meaning in terms of technical connotation (e.g., they should not be construed as an emphasis on importance or order). Expressions such as "comprising," "including," and "having" also mean "not limited to" (certain units, components, materials, steps, etc.).

[0041] The terms used in this application, such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and "middle," are generally used to indicate the general relative positional relationship for the purpose of intuitive understanding by referring to the accompanying drawings, and are not absolute limitations on the positional relationship in the actual product.

[0042] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 3 This application provides a neck-worn artificial larynx, including a neck-worn housing 1, a button housing 2, a display screen housing 3, and a sensor 4. The sensor 4 is used to attach to the neck. The button housing 2 and the display screen housing 3 are respectively fixedly connected to both ends of the neck-worn housing 1. Each of the neck-worn housing 1, button housing 2, and display screen housing 3 has an internal accommodating space. A circuit board 11 is fixedly disposed in the accommodating space of the button housing 2. The circuit board 11 integrates a microphone, an audio encoding chip, a CPU, a communication module, and a decoder. The button housing 2 has a microphone port 5, and a button 6 is fixedly disposed on the outside of the button housing 2. A battery 12 and a speaker 13 are fixedly disposed in the accommodating space of the display screen housing 3. The display screen housing 3 has a speaker port 7 and a charging interface 8, and a display screen 9 is fixedly disposed on the outside of the display screen housing 3. A data transmission line is disposed in the accommodating space of the neck-worn housing 1.

[0043] In this design, battery 12 is electrically connected to the CPU via a data transmission line, microphone is electrically connected to the audio encoding chip, sensor 4 is connected to the audio encoding chip via wired or wireless means, and the audio encoding chip, communication module, and decoder are electrically connected to the CPU. The decoder is electrically connected to speaker 13 via a data transmission line. In this application, sensor 4 uses a graphene sensor and a piezoelectric sensor. Sensor 4 is attached to the user's neck or throat to collect neck vibration signals and transmit them to the audio encoding chip. The microphone is used to collect weak audio signals and transmit them to the audio encoding chip. The audio encoding chip collects neck vibration signals and weak audio signals and transmits them to the CPU. The CPU transmits the neck vibration signals and weak audio signals to the server via the communication module and receives the server's processing results for the neck vibration signals and weak audio signals via the communication module. The CPU transmits the processing results to the decoder. The decoder decodes the processing results and plays the audio through speaker 13.

[0044] This application provides a neck-worn artificial larynx that uses three channels to collect human body signals. The piezoelectric sensor and graphene sensor generate electrical signals through neck vibration. The microphone can directly collect weak audio signals. The three channels can transmit data individually or together to the circuit board audio encoding chip to collect data. The audio encoding chip transmits the data to the CPU. The CPU transmits the data to the server via the network. The server processes the data and then transmits it back to the CPU via the network. The data is then output to the decoder. The decoder finally plays the audio through the speaker.

[0045] In the neck-worn artificial larynx provided in this application, the neck-worn shell 1, button shell 2, and display shell 3 are made of elastic plastic or flexible material (e.g., silicone). The neck-worn shell 1 has a U-shaped structure, which can be opened and supported on the human body (such as the neck), and the diameter of the opening is between 10cm and 15cm. When worn on the neck, it can fit more stably without excessive clamping. When clamped, it can stabilize the microphone and speaker at the front of the product below the mouth. At the same time, this application is larger in size than traditional products, which can increase the battery life by using a larger capacity battery 12, and improve the system processing power by configuring a larger computing chip.

[0046] In the neck-worn artificial larynx provided in this application, the button housing 2 and the display screen housing 3 are fixedly connected to both ends of the neck-worn housing 1 by means of pins, injection molding or adhesive.

[0047] Please continue reading. Figure 3 The neck-worn artificial larynx provided in this application also includes a housing inner core 10, on which a wire groove 101 is formed, and a data transmission line is disposed in the wire groove 101. The housing inner core 10 is disposed in the accommodating space of the neck-worn housing 1.

[0048] Please see Figure 4 In the neck-worn artificial larynx provided in this application, when the sensor 4 is connected to the audio encoding chip via a wired connection, it also includes a spring 14 and a wire outlet. The spring 14 is disposed within the accommodating space of the button housing 2, and the wire outlet is located on the inner side of the button housing 2. The transmission line 15 of the sensor 4 is electrically connected to the audio encoding chip through the wire outlet and the spring 14. In other words, in this application, the sensor transmission line 15 and the spring 14 form a pulley structure, which allows for stretching within a range of 0cm-5cm. The advantage of this structure is that the stretching distance is twice the extension distance of the spring 14, effectively saving product space.

[0049] Please see Figure 5 In the neck-worn artificial larynx provided in this application, two first stop components 16 are fixedly arranged inside the accommodating space of the button housing 2, and the two first stop components 16 are respectively located on both sides of the spring 14. A stop adjustment component 17 is fixedly arranged on the free end of the spring 14. By setting a stop structure inside the button housing 2, the extension distance can be controlled and positioned at the required length. In this application, the transmission line 15 of the sensor 4 can be connected to the housing separately, or they can be combined and plugged into the housing interface through a physical connection line, or they can transmit data wirelessly via Bluetooth.

[0050] Please see Figure 6 The neck-mounted artificial larynx provided in this application also includes a second positioning component 18, which is fixedly mounted on the display screen housing 3 and located on the inner side of the display screen housing 3. The sensor 4 can be attached using a flexible material (such as cloth, silicone, etc.) to assist in attaching it to the body (such as the neck), and after stretching, it can be fixed to the second positioning component 18 on the opposite side of the sensor outlet. It can also be fixed with other tooling, and data can be transmitted between it and the tooling via Bluetooth or other means.

[0051] Please see Figure 7 In the neck-worn artificial larynx provided in this application, a silicone pad 19 is fixedly provided on the inner side of the button housing 2 and the display housing 3, which can improve the wearing comfort.

[0052] Please see Figure 8 In the neck-worn artificial larynx provided in this application, the connection between the button housing 2 and the neck-worn housing 1, as well as the connection between the display housing 3 and the neck-worn housing 1, are provided with a housing barb structure 20, which can enhance the stability of the connection.

[0053] Please see Figure 9In the neck-worn artificial throat provided in this application, the display screen housing 3 is further provided with multiple light channels 21, which adopt the outline of a logo or a Wi-Fi outline. In other words, this application can form an image display component by using the display screen 9 and the display screen housing 3. By setting the housing channels, the light source of the indicator light of the circuit board 11 is collected, and then the light is dispersed by the plastic display screen 9 and a layer of particulate coating on its surface, thereby forming the desired pattern. For example: the yellow light flashes when Wi-Fi is connected, and the yellow light is always on when connected; the yellow light of the inner outline of the logo flashes when charging, and is always on when fully charged; the two dots flash when the battery is low; the blue light of the outer outline of the logo indicates that the device is connected, and the yellow light of the outer outline flashes when the device is disconnected.

[0054] Please see Figure 10 and Figure 11 This application provides a neck-worn artificial larynx, which has an overall ring-shaped opening and can be worn around the neck. Its side profile is narrow at the back and wide at the front, with a large rounded inner side for a better fit to the neck. The narrow back effectively reduces the area of ​​skin covered, improving heat dissipation and avoiding restrictions on movement (e.g., ...). Figure 10 (As shown); the front of the product resembles a U-shaped structure, with the front button housing 2 and display housing 3 tangent to the rear U-shaped housing (i.e., neckband housing 1), and angled inwards at an angle (0°-70°), creating two points that secure the neck, preventing excessive wrapping of the front of the neck and affecting neck vibration (e.g., Figure 11 (As shown).

[0055] The neck-mounted artificial larynx provided in this application has the following advantages:

[0056] 1. It can be worn directly around the head and neck or on various parts of the body. The sensor end automatically acts on the neck by attaching itself.

[0057] 2. The sensor component can be accurately positioned and attached to the neck, ensuring that the signal acquisition position remains unchanged;

[0058] 3. The sensor can adaptively follow the dynamic changes in the neck / throat, avoiding signal interference.

[0059] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way (as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features). For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described; these embodiments not explicitly written should also be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

Claims

1. A neck-worn artificial larynx, characterized in that, The application relates to a neck-wearing shell, a key shell, a display screen shell and a sensor which is used for attaching to a neck, the key shell and the display screen shell are fixedly connected with two ends of the neck-wearing shell, and accommodating spaces are arranged in the neck-wearing shell, the key shell and the display screen shell. A circuit board is fixedly arranged in the accommodating space of the key shell, a microphone, an audio coding chip, a CPU, a communication module and a decoder are integrated on the circuit board, a microphone opening is formed in the key shell, and keys are fixedly arranged on the outer side of the key shell; a battery and a loudspeaker are fixedly arranged in the accommodating space of the display screen shell, a loudspeaker opening and a charging interface are formed in the display screen shell, and a display screen is fixedly arranged on the outer side of the display screen shell; a data transmission line is arranged in the accommodating space of the neck-wearing shell. The battery is electrically connected with the CPU through the data transmission line, the microphone is electrically connected with the audio coding chip, the sensor is connected with the audio coding chip in a wired or wireless mode, the audio coding chip, the communication module and the decoder are electrically connected with the CPU, and the decoder is electrically connected with the loudspeaker through the data transmission line.

2. The neck-worn artificial larynx of claim 1, wherein, The neck-wearing shell, the key shell and the display screen shell are made of elastic plastic or flexible material.

3. The neck-worn artificial larynx of claim 1, wherein, A shell inner core is further arranged, a wire slot is formed in the shell inner core, the data transmission line is arranged in the wire slot, and the shell inner core is arranged in the accommodating space of the neck-wearing shell.

4. The neck-worn artificial larynx of claim 1, wherein, The key shell and the display screen shell are fixedly connected with two ends of the neck-wearing shell through the mode of pin, injection molding or adhesion.

5. The neck-worn artificial larynx of claim 1, wherein, When the sensor is connected with the audio coding chip in a wired mode, a spring and a wire outlet are further arranged, the spring is arranged in the accommodating space of the key shell, the wire outlet is formed in the inner side of the key shell, and the transmission line of the sensor is electrically connected with the audio coding chip through the wire outlet and the spring.

6. The neck-worn artificial larynx of claim 5, wherein, Two first gear members are fixedly arranged in the accommodating space of the key shell, and the two first gear members are located on the two sides of the spring, and a gear adjusting member is fixedly arranged on the free end of the spring.

7. The neck-worn artificial larynx of claim 1, wherein, A second gear member is further arranged, and the second gear member is fixedly arranged on the display screen shell and located on the inner side of the display screen shell.

8. The neck-worn artificial larynx of claim 1, wherein, The neck-wearing shell is in U-shaped structure.

9. The neck-worn artificial larynx of claim 1, wherein, Silicone pads are fixedly arranged on the inner sides of the key shell and the display screen shell.

10. The neck-worn artificial larynx of claim 1, wherein, Shell barb structures are arranged at the connecting positions of the key shell and the neck-wearing shell and the connecting positions of the display screen shell and the neck-wearing shell.

Images