Subglottal and oral air pressures during phonation—preliminary investigation using a miniature transducer system

  • P. Kitzing
  • A. Löfqvist
Article
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Accepted:

Abstract

Pressure and flow are important parameters in the study of phonation. From a physiological point of view, they are used in determining the efficiency of the glottis as a sound generator and in phonetic research they are basic to an understanding of the control of intonation. Traditional methods for obtaining records of the pressure below and above the glottis during phonation often suffer from bad linearity and frequency response. In this paper, we report the application of a miniature transducer system to the study of aerodynamic events during phonation and illustrate the type of records which can be obtained.

Keywords

Laryngeal function Miniature pressure transducers Phonation 

Sommaire

La pression et le débit d'air sont des paramètres importants dans l'étude de la phonation. Ils sont utilisés dans les experiments physiologiques pour déterminer l'efficacité de la glotte comme producteur de son; aussi sont-ils primordials dans la recherche phonétique pour étudier le control de l'intonation dans la communication. Cepèndant, les méthodes traditionnelles pour enregistrer la pression de l'air au-dessous et au-dessus de la glotte sont souvent peu linéaires et ne peuvent enregistrer qu'un nombre limité de fréquences. Dans ce rapport nous avons décrit l'application d'un système miniaturisé des transducteurs de pression à l'étude des processus aérodynamiques pendant la phonation et illustré les enregistrements que l'on peut en obtenir.

Zusammenfassung

Druck und Strömung der Atemluft sind zwei wichtige Parameter beim Studium der Stimmfunktion. Aus physiologischer Sicht sind sie notwendig zur Berechnung der Effektivität des Kehlkopfes als Tongenerator, und bei phonetischen Untersuchungen bilden sie den Grund zum Verständnis der Intonationsvorgänge. Traditionelle Druckmessmethoden unterhalb und oberhalb der Stimmritze während der Phonation sind öfters mit Unzulänglichkeiten betreffs Linearität und Frequenzgang beheftet. In der erscheinenden Arbeit wird die Anwendung eines Miniaturtransducersystems zur Messung der genannten aerodynamischen Grössen während der Stimmgebung beschrieben und die Art der durch die Methode ermöglichten Registrierungen an Hand einiger typischer Beispiele illustriert.

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Copyright information

© International Federation for Medical & Biological Engineering 1975

Authors and Affiliations

  • P. Kitzing
    • 1
  • A. Löfqvist
    • 2
  1. 1.Department of PhoniatricsUniversity ENT ClinicMalmöSweden
  2. 2.Department of PhoneticsUniversity of LundLundSweden

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