Mechanical Speech
You may choose to use a mechanical larynx while you learn esophageal or TEP
speech or if you are unable to use these methods. The device may be powered by
batteries (electrolarynx) or by
air (pneumatic larynx).
Many different mechanical devices
are available. The speech pathologist
will help you choose the best device for your needs and abilities and will
train you to use it.
One kind of electrolarynx looks
like a small flashlight. It makes a
humming sound. You hold the device
against your neck, and the sound travels through your neck to your mouth. Another type of electrolarynx has a flexible
plastic tube that carries sound into your mouth from a hand-held device. There are also devices that are built into a
denture or retainer and can be worn inside your mouth and operated by a
hand-held remote control.
A pneumatic larynx is held over the
stoma and uses air from the lungs instead of batteries to make it vibrate. The
sound it makes travels to the mouth through a plastic tube.
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