Estimating Vocal Fold Contact Pressure In Vivo

Mathias Zañartu, PhD

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The development of trauma-induced lesions of the vocal folds (VFs) has been linked to high contact pressure on the VF surface. However, there are no direct methods for the clinical assessment of VF collision, thus limiting the objective assessment of these disorders. Two recent developments to indirectly obtain VF contact pressure in vivo are presented. The first approach is a high-speed video processing technique that directly quantifies VF contact using solely laryngeal kinematic data.  Herein, VF edge tracking is applied in a Hertzian impact model and a Kalman filtering scheme. The second approach uses a Bayesian framework to estimate contact pressure and other relevant measures from calibrated transnasal high-speed videoendoscopy and oral airflow recordings. This technique is based on a subject-specific, lumped-element vocal fold model and an extended Kalman filtering scheme. Both methods have a high potential in clinical practice and could be adapted to operate with laryngeal stroboscopic systems.

Bio: Matías Zañartu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electronic Engineering and the Director of the Advanced Center for Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, in Valparaiso, Chile. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in electrical and computer engineering from Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA, and his B.S. in acoustical engineering from Universidad Tecnológica Vicente Pérez Rosales, Santiago, Chile. His interests are centered on the development of digital signal processing, system modeling, and biomedical engineering tools that involve speech, hearing, and acoustics. His research efforts have revolved around developing physics-based models of human voice production and applying these physiological descriptions for the development of clinical technologies. He is a Fulbright fellow and an IEEE senior member.