199 results about "Glottis" patented technology

A multiple function laryngoscope to be used for the safe intubation of a patient's trachea during a respiratory emergency or as an elective procedure. A two section instrument. Proximally, a reusable handle that houses a rechargeable battery, electronic circuits that feed a distal digital image to variable position LCD screen or viewing port, switches and low battery indicator light. Distally, the handle electrically couples with a disposable curved scabbard. The scabbard features a dorsal endotracheal tube channel with a wavy opening which allows preloading and gentle extraction of different size endotracheal tubes once the patient's trachea has been intubated. The scabbard's distal end strategically houses a distal sweeper that engages the epiglottis and exposes the glottis, an opening for the exit of a preloaded endotracheal tube, a LED light, a suction / oxygenation port, and a lens coupled with a digital imaging system (CMOS) to digitize and transport a distant wide field of view. Safe LCD view of one or serial rapid intubations are possible by rapidly replacing for a clean disposable scabbard in case of multiple emergencies.

The disclosed laryngeal mask airway device includes a rigid airway tube, a mask portion, and one or more optical fibers. The airway tube extends from a proximal end to a distal end. The airway tube defines an internal passage and a first notch. The first notch extends along a length of the tube from a location on the tube towards the distal end of the tube. The mask portion is coupled to the distal end of the airway tube. The mask portion includes an inflatable cuff. The cuff defines a central opening at least when inflated. The mask portion is insertable through a mouth of a patient to an inserted location within the patient. The cuff surrounds a glottic opening of the patient when inflated and when the mask portion is at the inserted location. A sealed airway passage extends from the proximal end of the tube through the internal passage to the glottic opening when the cuff is inflated and when the mask portion is at the inserted location. The mask portion includes an epiglottis elevator bar that extends from a proximal end to a distal end. The distal end of the bar defines an aperture. The bar is positionable in a resting position and an open position. The optical fibers extend from a proximal end to a distal end. A lens is connected to the distal end of the fibers. The fibers extend through the first notch. The lens is disposed near the aperture defined by the bar when the bar is in the resting position. The fibers and lens provide a view of a region that extends from the lens through the aperture defined by the bar.

A supralaryngeal airway of the type used to facilitate lung ventilation and the insertion of endo-tracheal tubes or related medical instruments through a patient's glottis where the shield is constructed to include a protrusion which serves to direct instruments inserted through the airway away from the proximal base of the shield and into the glottis of the patient.

An endotracheal tube for mechanically ventilating patients is disclosed. The endotracheal tube comprises a distal end for insertion into the patient's airway, past the vocal chords, through the subglottal region, and into the patient's lung; and a proximal end for connection to a mechanical ventilator. The endotracheal tube further comprises a cuff at the distal end of the endotracheal tube to be located in the subglottal region of the patient below the vocal chords, an inflating lumen for inflating the cuff, and a suction lumen having a suction inlet port leading from the outer surface of the endotracheal tube, and to be located in the subglottal region, for evacuating secretions and / or rinsing fluid from the subglottal region during the mechanical ventilation of the patient. The distal end of the endotracheal tube is formed with an outer surface configuration effective to prevent blockage of the suction inlet port by the cuff or by tracheal mucosal tissue of the patient during a negative pressure condition in the suction lumen.

The disclosed laryngeal mask airway device includes a rigid airway tube, a mask portion, and one or more optical fibers. The airway tube extends from a proximal end to a distal end. The airway tube defines an internal passage and a first notch. The first notch extends along a length of the tube from a location on the tube towards the distal end of the tube. The mask portion is coupled to the distal end of the airway tube. The mask portion includes an inflatable cuff. The cuff defines a central opening at least when inflated. The mask portion is insertable through a mouth of a patient to an inserted location within the patient. The cuff surrounds a glottic opening of the patient when inflated and when the mask portion is at the inserted location. A sealed airway passage extends from the proximal end of the tube through the internal passage to the glottic opening when the cuff is inflated and when the mask portion is at the inserted location. The mask portion includes an epiglottis elevator bar that extends from a proximal end to a distal end. The distal end of the bar defines an aperture. The bar is positionable in a resting position and an open position. The optical fibers extend from a proximal end to a distal end. A lens is connected to the distal end of the fibers. The fibers extend through the first notch. The lens is disposed near the aperture defined by the bar when the bar is in the resting position. The fibers and lens provide a view of a region that extends from the lens through the aperture defined by the bar.

A video laryngoscope has a handle and a groove on one side of the handle. The groove is used for guiding a guide wire when the larynogoscope is placed in a patient's mouth. A video camera located near the end of the handle is used to view the area around the glottis. When the guide wire is properly positioned near the glottis, the upper part of the guide wire is disengaged from the groove so as to allow an endotracheal tube to be slipped over the guide wire and to be inserted into part of the trachea through the glottis. When the tube is properly inserted for intubation, the guide wire is removed from the tube. An illuminating light source such as an LED lamp can be installed at the end of the handle to provide illumination for the video camera.

The configuration and arrangement of the instrument greatly facilitate safe placement of the instrument and an associated endotracheal tube. The instrument includes a handle with an arm extending therefrom. The arm includes a base portion and a distal lifter portion preferably having an angle between 5° and 85°, inclusive, and the lifter is sized and shaped to engage or lift the patient's epiglottis, thereby to expose the glottis. In a preferred embodiment, the base portion and lifter portion are substantially the same length, and a viewing device, which is preferably a CCD or CMOS camera positioned near the transition portion between the base and lifter portions, is aligned to provide a perspective view toward the distal end of the lifter. Lights, which are preferably LED units, are positioned toward the distal end of the lifter to facilitate viewing. A transparent protective sheathing may be positioned over the assembly to facilitate cleaning and provide sterile multiple use of the device, and the lifter may be pivotally secured to the base portion to facilitate on-site adjustment by the practitioner.

An intubating LMA construction features a rigid airway tube wherein curvature in a single plane establishes essentially an arcuate path of angular extent in the preferred range of 130°, plus or minus 5°, which I have found to be in substantial anatomical conformance with the adult human's airway path, between a proximal end of the arc at substantial register with the longitudinal midpoint of the hard palate, and a distal end that faces and is at short offset from the glottic aperture, it being understood that my findings apply to suitably quantified allowance for variations in patient-head anatomy, as is for example customary for different sizes of LMA devices, each of which is adapted to serve one of five selected patient-size ranges. The proximal end of the rigid tube is suitably a short straight portion which is tangentially and integrally related to the proximal end of the arc. And the distal end of the arc is fitted with flexible mask structure of preferably elastomeric material such as silicone rubber, wherein an internal ramp formation within the mask structure assures a limited but important measure of further and stabilized guidance of an ET which has emerged from the distal end of the rigid tube, such that unguided displacement of the ET (i.e., beyond the ramp) is oriented to target safe entry of the ET into the glottic opening.

The invention belongs to the technical field of speech processing and image processing and discloses a depression auxiliary detection method based on acoustic characteristics and sparse mathematics and a classifier. The method is characterized by carrying out depression diagnosis based on speech and facial emotion common identification; realizing estimation of a glottis signal through an inverse filter; carrying out global analysis on the speech signals to extract characteristic parameters, and analyzing timing and distribution features of the characteristic parameters to find out rhyme rulesof speeches in different emotions as basis of emotion recognition; using MFCC as a speech signal to be processed for analysis of the characteristic parameters, collecting data in records through a plurality of groups of training data, and establishing a neural network model for diagnosis; through an OMP-based sparse express algorithm, obtaining sparse linear combination of a test sample; and carrying out judgment and classification on facial emotions, and carrying out linear combination on the obtained result and the speech recognition result to obtain final probability for expressing each data. The depression recognition rate is improved greatly, and the cost is low.

A device for treating spasmodic dysphonia (SD) and a surgical method of treating SD with use of the same are disclosed. The cause for SD is an excessively tight closure of the glottis. The device of the present invention is useful one for the surgery of thyroplasty type II which aims at widening the glottis. Use of the device may make the surgery easier, simpler, and shorter in time required.

A supraglottic airway of the type used to facilitate lung ventilation and the insertion of endo-tracheal tubes or related medical instruments through a patient's laryngeal opening where the shield is designed to have an internal increase in pressure during assisted inhalation such as positive-pressure ventilation.

Tracheal ventilation device, particularly a tracheal tube, which seals the trachea in a substantially air-tight manner. The device includes a cuff that blocks the trachea below the glottis and is traversed by a ventilation cannula. The cuff is larger in its filled, freely displaceable, unrestricted state than in its filled state positioned in the trachea. The cuff is of a flexible soft film material and lies against the trachea by means of its folds. The device is adapted to the morphology of a child's larynx and is available in finely graded sizes.

The invention relates to a music voice tone changing method for stabilizing tone quality, and the method comprises the steps: exporting a spectrum envelope through employing a voice signal, which can be divided into a glottis stimulation component and a channel stimulation response component, and the cepstrum sequence of the voice signal; separating the stimulation component of the voice signal through employing the spectrum envelope; carrying out the processing of the stimulation components of the voice signal through a tone changing algorithm, and changing the pitch of the voice signal; finally enabling the stimulation components to be synthesized again after the spectrum envelope and the pitch are changed, and obtaining a music voice signal with the changed pitch and the stable tone quality. The method provided by the invention is simple, is flexible in implementation, and is higher in practicality.

An oropharyngeal airway device (1) which includes a unitary tube (2) and a locating flange (6). The locating flange (6) forms, in combination with a first portion (4) of the tube (2), at least part of a mouthpiece (7) defining an inlet (8) to a passage (3). The flange (6) is adapted to locate adjacent an outer surface of the patient's mouth and the first portion (4) of the tube (2) extends into the mouth cavity. The tube (2) has a second portion (5), extending from said first portion (4), which has a distal end defining an outlet (12) to the tube (2) and which is adapted to extend to a location closely adjacent the base of the tongue. In use, the tube (2) is generally hook shaped with first portion (4) being substantially straight and the second portion (5) being of an arcuate form, extending obliquely from the first portion (4) and configured to follow the pharyngeal arc defined by the passage from the rear of the patient's mouth cavity through the oropharynx to a location adjacent the glottis. Alternatively or additionally to the tube shape described above, the outlet (12) at the distal end of the tube (2) can be defined by a first opening (13) that is configured to align with the opening to the larynx. Alternatively or additionally to the tube shape or the first opening described above, the device (1) can include internal markings (26) for guiding an endoscope therethrough.

A device and a method to be used by laryngeally impaired people to improve the naturalness of their speech. An artificial sound creating mechanism which forms a simulated glottal pulse in the vocal tract is utilized. An artificial glottal pulse is compared with the natural spectrum and an inverse filter is generated to provide an output signal which would better reproduce natural sound. A digital signal processor introduces a variation of pitch based on an algorithm developed for this purpose; i.e. creating prosody. The algorithm uses primarily the relative amplitude of the speech signal and the rise and fall rates of the amplitude as a basis for setting the frequency of the speech. The invention also clarifies speech of laryngectomees by sensing the presence of consonants in the speech and appropriately amplifying them with respect to the vowel sounds.

A superglottic and peri-laryngeal apparatus for supraglottic airway device insertion that contemporaneously clears a patient's upper airway of the tongue and other pharyngeal tissues, and raises the epiglottis without use of the medical practitioner's fingers in the upper airway. The insertion apparatus comprises an offset member with a compressor-lever shield at a distal insertion end and a handle at the proximal end thereof. The offset member, medially disposed between the handle and the compressor-lever shield, should preferably be configured to be substantially flat, consistent in thickness throughout and having a tight, arcuate shape. The compressor-lever shield member preferably widens from its junction with the offset member into a broad tip at its leading distal edge.

The present invention provides pitch conversion processing technology capable of minimizing the distortion of speech sound naturalness. A speech waveform in a pitch-unit is considered to be divided into two segments: 1) the segment of β, that starts from the minus peak, where the waveform depending on the shape of vocal tracts appears, and 2) the segment of γ where the waveform depending on the vocal tract shape is attenuating and converging on the next minus peak. In addition, α is the point where a minus peak appears along with the glottal closure. Based on characteristics of speech waveforms, the present invention processes waveform for converting pitch in the segment of γ just before the next minus peak, which is least affected by the minus peak associated with the glottal closure. As such, waveform processing can be performed by keeping the complete contour of waveform at around the peak, and thereby reducing the effects of pitch conversion.

The invention provides an electronic larynx speech reconstructing method and a system thereof. The method comprises the following steps of: firstly, extracting model parameters form collected speech as a parameter library; secondly, collecting the face image of a sounder, and transmitting the face image to an image analysis and processing module to obtain the sounding start moment, the sounding stop moment and the sounding vowel category; thirdly, synthesizing a voice source wave form through a voice source synthesizing module; and finally, outputting the voice source wave form through an electronic larynx vibration output module. Wherein the voice source synthesizing module is used for firstly setting the model parameters of a glottis voice source to synthesize the glottis voice source wave form, then simulating the transmission of the sound in the vocal tract by using a waveguide model and selecting the form parameters of the vocal tract according to the sounding vowel category so as to synthesize the electronic larynx voice source wave form. The speech reconstructed by the method and the system is closer to the sound of the sounder per se.

Locating and confirming glottal events within human speech signals is disclosed. In a method of one embodiment of the invention, a signal representing digitized, sampled human speech is received, and at least one speech segment is located within the signal. One or more higher energy sections within each speech segment are also located, as well as glottal events within each speech segment based on these higher energy sections. The glottal events located within each speech segment are confirmed, including registering at least some of the glottal events with adjacent glottal events. Such confirmation allows for more accurate speaker verification to be performed.

Tracheal ventilation device, particularly a tracheal tube, which seals the trachea in a substantially air-tight manner. The device includes a cuff that blocks the trachea below the glottis and is traversed by a ventilation cannula. The cuff is larger in its filled, freely displaceable, unrestricted state than in its filled state positioned in the trachea. The cuff is of a flexible soft film material and lies against the trachea by means of its folds. The device is adapted to the morphology of a child's larynx and is available in finely graded sizes.

Embodiments include a method and apparatus for maintaining an open airway passage in a patient while having the capacity to provide supplemental gas such as oxygen to the patient. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes an oral cannula comprising an extended cannula member and an oral airway member. The method may include inserting the oral cannula into a pharynx of the patient and providing gas such as oxygen directly to an opening of a glottis of the patient. Other embodiments include a kit comprising a nasal cannula member comprising a delivery cannula and at least two cannula prongs, an oral airway member, and at least two cannula extension members, each cannula extension member connectable to each nasal cannula member prong.

The invention relates to a laryngeal mask airway device (1) for insertion into patient to provide an airway passage to the patient's glottic opening, the device (1) comprising an airway tube (2), a mask (3) attached to the airway tube (2), the mask (3) comprising a body (4) having a distal end (5) and a proximal end (6) a peripheral inflatable cuff (7), and an outlet (8), the mask (3) being attached to the airway tube (2) for gaseous communication between the tube (2) and the outlet (8), the device (1) further compromising means to prevent occlusion of the outlet (8) by the patient's anatomy, the means comprising a support (11), and a conduit (28a) to allow gas to flow out of the outlet (8), past the support

The invention relates to a detecting system and method for the mechanical properties of vocal fold vibration. The detecting system comprises a high-speed photography laryngoscope module, a high frame rate ultrasound module, a data acquisition module, a synchronous acquisition control module, an image display module, a data storage module, an imaging data processing module and a mechanics parameter extraction module; a high-speed photography laryngoscope and high frame rate ultrasound are respectively connected with the same computer. The detecting method comprises the following steps: 1) setting corresponding acquisition duration and storage path; 2) ensuring a high frame rate ultrasound probe to cling to the side of throat and inserting the high-speed photography laryngoscope from an oral cavity; 3) regulating related parameters of ultrasound and position and focus of the high-speed photography laryngoscope; 4) ensuring persons to be detected to vocalize and synchronously acquiring and storing data; 5) extracting glottis area and somatic layer shift; 6) extracting the mechanics parameter of vocal fold vibration. The invention provides a quantitative extracting method of the mechanics parameter of vocal fold vibration, thus obtaining the mechanics parameter of vibration of a vocal fold cover layer and the somatic layer with different mechanical properties.

The present invention provides an endotracheal intubation assist instrument for inserting the bronchofiberscope from the oral or nasal cavity to the trachea easily and then inserting the endotracheal tube into the trachea easily. The side hole 20 is installed near the front edge of the guide tube 10. The guide tube 10 advances naturally from the oral cavity, and the front edge of the guide tube 10 reaches the entrance of the esophagus. The view field is obtained by putting the front edge of the bronchofiberscope 200 onto the base 21. The glottis can be found by the view field of the bronchofiberscope 200 while pulling back the guide tube 10 slowly. The path for the bronchofiberscope 200 from the oral cavity to the esophagus can be secured by the guide tube 10 without influence of the obstacles such as a tongue and an epiglottis, and the operatability can be enhanced. Only the guide tube 10 is removed and the bronchofiberscope 200 remains as the guide line for the endotracheal tube insertion. The endotracheal tube is inserted to the trachea by utilizing the bronchofiberscope 200 as the guide line.

The invention discloses methods for extracting and modeling Chinese speech emotion in combination with glottis excitation and sound channel modulation information. The method for extracting Chinese glottis excitation information comprises the following steps of: setting an electric glottogram emotion speech database standard; collecting glottogram emotion speech data; and objectively evaluating glottogram emotion speech, i.e., evaluating the glottogram emotion speech with at least ten evaluators. The method for modeling Chinese emotion in combination with glottis excitation and sound channel modulation information comprises the following steps of: firstly, extracting glottis excitation information according to a glottogram; secondly, extracting sound channel modulation information in a speech signal according to the relation between the glottogram and the speech signal; and lastly, selecting an appropriate emotion characteristic for each emotion by using the Fisher rates of all standby characteristics, and training a one-to-many support vector machine model. In the invention, the glottis excitation information is extracted through a glottogram signal, and the glottis excitation information is separated from the sound channel modulation information in the speech signal, so that the emotion information in the speech can be reflected more accurately.

The invention discloses a hook laryngoscope for difficult injection intubatton, comprising a hook laryngoscope lens, a battery tube, a battery tube base, a handle and a medical liquid tube. A disconnecting switch is fixedly arranged on one side wall of the handle; and the hook laryngoscope lens is provided with an oxygen supply duct, a medical liquid duct and a spraying head. The hook laryngoscope in use can flexibly and conveniently lift up the hypertrophic epiglottis, can immediately spray and anaesthetize the glottis, the larynx and the tongue root to loosen the glottis when the larynx is cramped so as to smoothly finish intubatton while injecting, ventilating and supply oxygen in vivo. The hook laryngoscope for difficult injection intubatton prolongs the safety time of trachea intubatton operation, lowers the danger of trachea intubatton and improves the success ratio of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The hook laryngoscope for difficult injection intubatton can supply oxygen for administration by manual injection and can also be connected with an injection ventilator for compatible use.

The present invention is a system and method for characterizing human (or animate) speech voiced excitation functions and acoustic signals, for removing unwanted acoustic noise which often occurs when a speaker uses a microphone in common environments, and for synthesizing personalized or modified human (or other animate) speech upon command from a controller. A low power EM sensor is used to detect the motions of windpipe tissues in the glottal region of the human speech system before, during, and after voiced speech is produced by a user. From these tissue motion measurements, a voiced excitation function can be derived. Further, the excitation function provides speech production information to enhance noise removal from human speech and it enables accurate transfer functions of speech to be obtained. Previously stored excitation and transfer functions can be used for synthesizing personalized or modified human speech. Configurations of EM sensor and acoustic microphone systems are described to enhance noise cancellation and to enable multiple articulator measurements.

The present invention is a system and method for characterizing human (or animate) speech voiced excitation functions and acoustic signals, for removing unwanted acoustic noise which often occurs when a speaker uses a microphone in common environments, and for synthesizing personalized or modified human (or other animate) speech upon command from a controller. A low power EM sensor is used to detect the motions of windpipe tissues in the glottal region of the human speech system before, during, and after voiced speech is produced by a user. From these tissue motion measurements, a voiced excitation function can be derived. Further, the excitation function provides speech production information to enhance noise removal from human speech and it enables accurate transfer functions of speech to be obtained. Previously stored excitation and transfer functions can be used for synthesizing personalized or modified human speech. Configurations of EM sensor and acoustic microphone systems are described to enhance noise cancellation and to enable multiple articulator measurements.

The present invention is a system and method for characterizing human (or animate) speech voiced excitation functions and acoustic signals, for removing unwanted acoustic noise which often occurs when a speaker uses a microphone in common environments, and for synthesizing personalized or modified human (or other animate) speech upon command from a controller. A low power EM sensor is used to detect the motions of windpipe tissues in the glottal region of the human speech system before, during, and after voiced speech is produced by a user. From these tissue motion measurements, a voiced excitation function can be derived. Further, the excitation function provides speech production information to enhance noise removal from human speech and it enables accurate transfer functions of speech to be obtained. Previously stored excitation and transfer functions can be used for synthesizing personalized or modified human speech. Configurations of EM sensor and acoustic microphone systems are described to enhance noise cancellation and to enable multiple articulator measurements.

The invention provides a portable teleoperation tracheal intubation robot. A tongue depressor gesture adjustment mechanism for picking up the epiglottis and exposing the glottis, a catheter tail end gesture adjustment mechanism for adjusting the gesture of the tail end of a catheter and a catheter feeding control mechanism for conveying the catheter to the glottis are compactly integrated in a shell, full-automatic operation of tracheal intubation is achieved, the robot can be connected with a teleoperation system, professional doctors can conduct remote intubation operation on patients, and the robot is compact in structure, low in manufacturing cost, and capable of saving the size, achieving the vehicle-mounted function and facilitating large-batch production.