Implementation of a software model of the human glottis on a TMS32010 DSP to drive an artificial larnyx

Abstract

A glottal waveform generator has been constructed as part of a new approach for an artificial larynx prosthesis. In 1980, a palatal prosthesis device was developed at Thomas Jefferson Hospital to restore voice for laryngectomees. The present study, based on this approach, addresses this problem of generating the glottal pulses in real time to drive a small speaker that is placed on a dental plate inside the oral cavity. The glottal waveform will be generated and controlled with a hand-held electronic device and transmitted to a receiver on the dental plate. Ishizaka and Flanagan's 1972 two-mass model of the vocal cords has been used for the glottal pulse generation and was implemented on a TMS32010 DSP-chip-based PC-board.<>