Synthetic Human Vocal Fold Modeling
Synthetic vocal fold models have long been used to study features of human voice production that cannot reasonably be studied in vivo. Numerous models have been developed to study different aspects of voice production. Some models have focused, for example, on mimicking geometry or tissue layering while others have been used to study the effect of vibration on live cells. Two aspects of vocal fold structure that have yet to be fully explored are the anisotropic and the inhomogeneous qualities of vocal fold tissue. These features significantly influence vocal fold flow-induced vibratory characteristics. The purpose of my research was to develop and explore models that incorporate anisotropy and inhomogeneity to study their effects on vocal fold vibration. The methods and models I developed for studying these features were presented at the 2015 American Acoustical Society Conference and are the basis for a pending NIH research grant proposal. The images above are a model I developed with a functioning capillary structure to examine the effects of vocal fold vibration on blood flow and vascular tissue. The capillary structure was created by embedding a "cotton candy" in silicone and dissolving the sugar after the silicone was fully cured.