Voice production depends critically on fluid–structure interactions within the glottis, especially during the closing phase of phonation where flow separation and pressure transients shape vocal output. We present a novel application of time-resolved tomographic particle image velocimetry (tomo-PIV) to visualize 3-D intraglottal airflow in opaque, anatomically realistic laryngeal models derived from high-resolution CT and dynamic stereo-DIC. Several glottal configurations representing mid-to-late closing phases were reproduced under controlled pressure conditions, and flow fields were reconstructed across the entire phonatory cycle. Phase-resolved flow rates showed strong agreement with known physiological waveforms. Notably, our results reveal entrainment zones, secondary separation, and vortex structures not typically captured in tissue-based models. These findings underscore the aerodynamic complexity of phonation and provide a validated physical platform for future model development and simulation benchmarking. This work builds a bridge between mechanical modeling and physiological relevance, offering new insights into the aerodynamic underpinnings of speech production. Work funded by Grant R21 DC020275-01 from the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Luzan et al. (Wed,) studied this question.