title: Geometry of human vocal folds and glottal channel for mathematical and biomechanical modeling of voice production.
abstract: Current models of the vocal folds derive their shape from approximate information rather than from exactly measured data. The objective of this study was to obtain detailed measurements on the geometry of human vocal folds and the glottal channel in phonatory position. A non-destructive casting methodology was developed to capture the vocal fold shape from excised human larynges on both medial and superior surfaces. Two female larynges, each in two different phonatory configurations corresponding to low and high fundamental frequency of the vocal fold vibrations, were measured. A coordinate measuring machine was used to digitize the casts yielding 3D computer models of the vocal fold shape. The coronal sections were located in the models, extracted and fitted by piecewise-defined cubic functions allowing a mathematical expression of the 2D shape of the glottal channel. Left-right differences between the cross-sectional shapes of the vocal folds were found in both the larynges.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Thermomechanics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Dolejskova 5, 182 00 Prague 8, Czech Republic. sidlof@it.cas.cz
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sidlof
authors.forename: Jan G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Svec
authors.forename: Jaromír
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Horácek
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Veselý
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Klepácek
authors.forename: Radan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Havlík
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005931:Glottis / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D014831:Voice / Q000502:physiology*