Vocal Folds Dynamics by Means of Optical Flow Techniques: A Review of the Methods

Abstract:

A healthy voice is crucial for people’s daily life, especially for professional voice users. Voice assessment and diagnosis of potential disorders is typically carried out in the clinics by means of different objective tools, including acoustic analysis and vocal-folds visualization using videoendoscopic techniques, perceptual gradings, and self-evaluation questionnaires [1]. According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and NecN-Surgery, the basic protocol to evaluate a patient with a voice disorder has to include a rigorous clinical history, physical examination, and visualization of the larynx via laryngoscopy [2]. In comparison with a physical examination, or an acoustic analysis, only laryngoscopic techniques allow a direct visualization of vocal folds in motion and the determination of voice disorder’s ethiology. Hence, improving the techniques for laryngeal functional examination has become a current challenge and the aims of advanced scientific research [3-5]. Fig. 13.1 schematically illustrates the laryngoscopic procedure to record vocal-folds dynamics using a rigid endoscope (90). The most common tool used by clinicians for laryngeal imaging is Laryngeal Videostroboscopy (LVS). It has been used to examine subtle abnormalities along the vocal-folds vibratory margin, such as cysts or scars, and to detect subtle problems such as mild inflammation, vocal-folds swelling, white patches or excessive mucus. However, its low recording frame rate of 25 frames per second (fps) does not enable to highlight all vibratory peculiarities of dysfunctional voices [6]. A higher video frame rate is often necessary to an in-depth assessment of vocal-folds …

Año de publicación:

2018

Keywords:

Fuente:

google