A Newly Devised Speech Accumulator

Voice therapy is often most effective for treating patients with vocal cord polyp, polypoid degeneration and singer's nodule. However, little is known about the total speaking times in 1 day, the ratio of speech per hour and the sound level during speech, in individual patients. If these parameters can be readily detected, it could be clarified as to how speaking times or patterns are related to a particular voice disorder and/or what instruction a doctor had given a patient. We devised a speech accumulator which records the vibration time of the vocal cords by a small contact microphone attached to the neck, but does not record the actual speech, thus monitoring the privacy of the individual. The time of speech, at any sound level can be read digitally, at any time. This system was clinically used for 11 patients and proved to be most useful. The longest speaking time in 1 day was 182 min, for a bus guide, and the shortest time was 33 min for an office clerk.