Presenter: MeiLi O'Bannon
Authors: K O'Bannon, Scott Thomson
Faculty Advisor: Scott L Thomson
Institution: Brigham Young University
In studying human voice production, synthetic vocal folds have been shown to be an alternative to in vivo or excised vocal folds. As vocal folds consist of several layers of tissue, synthetic vocal fold models typically are fabricated with multiple distinct layers of different stiffness (as in the case of the so-called “EPI” model) and, with the application of newly developed technology for 3D printing ultrasoft materials, can exhibit more of the internal geometric characteristics of vocal folds, such as utilizing a stiffness gradient. However, the geometries of most synthetic models are idealized and do not exactly reflect the geometry of human vocal folds. Using MRI-derived models would more accurately represent vocal fold geometry and would be expected to show improved vibratory characteristics. The research to be described in this presentation is focused on producing MRI-derived models using multi-material silicone 3D printing, testing the models’ flow-induced vibratory responses, and comparing the models’ response data to existing data from other vocal fold models and actual human vocal folds. The testing will include the acquisition and analysis of flow, acoustic, and high-speed video data.