• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.949-958
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• 2018

A voice recognition control system is a system for controlling a peripheral device by recognizing a voice. Recently, a voice recognition control system have been applied not only to smart devices but also to various environments ranging from IoT(: Internet of Things), robots, and vehicles. In such a voice recognition control system, the recognition rate is lowered due to the ambient noise in addition to the voice of the user. In this paper, we propose a dual channel acoustic beamforming hardware architecture for MEMS(: Microelectromechanical Systems) microphones to eliminate ambient noise in addition to user's voice. And the proposed hardware architecture is designed as ASIC(: Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) using TowerJazz $0.18{\mu}m$ CMOS(: Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) technology. The designed dual channel acoustic beamforming ASIC has a die size of $48mm^2$, and the directivity index of the user's voice were measured to be 4.233㏈.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.103-109
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• 2022

Background and Objectives The Voice Perceived Present Control scale (VPPC) has been developed to provide better insight into patients' perceived control over their thoughts or behaviors related to voice disorders. The objective of the present study was to validate the Korean VPPC (K-VPPC) by evaluating its internal consistency and reliability. Materials and Method All items of the English VPPC were translated into Korean. Content validity was analyzed through three Delphi survey rounds by an expert panel (n=44) with active clinical and research experience in treating dysphonic patients. Twenty-three patients with a heterogeneous diagnosis of dysphonia and twenty-three gender-matched vocally normal controls (total n=46) were asked to complete the K-VPPC and the Korean Voice Handicap Index-10 (KVHI-10). Psychometric properties including internal consistency and reliability were evaluated to examine the appropriateness of cross-cultural use of K-VPPC. Results Cronbach's alpha coefficient of K-VPPC was 0.89 for dysphonic patients, indicating good internal consistency in clinical samples. Furthermore, patients with dysphonia scored significantly lower on the total score of K-VPPC and higher on voice handicap than the vocally normal controls. Spearman's correlation coefficients indicated an inverse and moderate association between the K-VPPC and all domains of KVHI-10 (Spearman's r=-0.44- -0.68). Conclusion The findings of the current study indicated that the K-VPPC is a valid and reliable tool for the assessment of perceived control in Korean patients with dysphonia. Therefore, the K-VPPC could be a useful and complementary tool for the comprehensive evaluation of dysphonia, thereby improving care in Korean patients with voice disorders.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.5-9
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• 2005

Background and Objectives : Glottal area waveform(GAW) shows the plot of glottal area versus time through the 1 cycle. This study is designed to see how it can be applied to laryngeal patients. Material and Methods : A GAW analysis was peformed on 11 patients before and after surgery and 22 persons without laryngeal problems were recruited for control. Acoustic and aerodynamic analysis with VHI(voice handicap index) evaluation were performed. Results. Significant changes in baseline offset, gross closing rate and VHI were observed postoperatively. Other parameters were changed but insignificant. Conclusion : GAW maybe used to evaluate patient with voice problems.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.121-127
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• 2010

Background and Objectives : Unilateral vocal fold paralysis is generally treated using injection laryngoplasty or voice therapy. However, the decision of treatment method is dependent on clinician's preference and hospital facilities without specific criteria. The purpose of the study was to examine factors predictive of voice therapy outcome in patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis. Materials and Method : 38 patients diagnosed as unilateral vocal fold paralysis, aged from 24 to 81 years and undergone voice therapy more than 1 month were included. After 3 to 12 (mean 5.1) sessions of voice therapy, subjects had divided into responder group (RG, 28 patients) and non-responder group (NRG, 10 patients) according to G scale change. Paramters of perceptual assessment, acoustic and aerodynamic measure, and videostroboscopy were compared between two groups, and factors predictive of voice therapy result were analyzed. Results : RG patients showed significantly reduced rough, breathy, asthenic voice after voice therapy. Change of MPT and MFR was more substantial in RG than in NRG. By videostroboscopy, RG patients showed significantly more mucosal wave symmetry, glottal closure, reduced glottal gap index during the closed phase of phonation, while NRG patients showed more occurrences of abnomal supraglottic activities during phonation (p < 0.05). Poor outcome of voice therapy significantly associated with increased asthenic scale, short MPT, and less glottal closure (p=0.02). In addition, 90% of patients with MPT more than 5 seconds were in RG, whereas 56% of patients with MPT less than 5 secondes were in RG. Conclusion : Voice therapy is useful for large proportion of patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis as an initial treatment method. However, patients with large asthenia scale, large glottic gap or MPT less than 5 seconds tend to have poor voice therapy outcome, and early injection laryngoplasty maybe recommended for these patients.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.102-107
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• 2016

Background and Objectives : Vocal polyps are caused by inflammation induced by stress or irritation. Many patients with vocal polyps complain voice discomfort. For vocal polyps, surgery such as laryngeal microsurgery has been the mainstay of management. We analyzed the clinical features of vocal polyps, and how the size and location of vocal polyps affect the outcomes of surgery. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed 42 patients from March 2014 to December 2015, who were diagnosed as unilateral single vocal polyp. When we operated on a vocal polyp with laryngeal microscopy, we measured their size and location. The quality of voice was evaluated by GRABS scale, jitter, shimmer, NHR (noise to harmonic ratio), MPT (maximum phonation time), and VHI (voice handicap index) before operation and 4 weeks after operation. Results : When we divided the patients into large-sized vocal polyp group (the longest length >3 mm) and small-sized vocal polyp group (the longest length ${\leq}3mm$), all parameter differences tend to be greater at large sized vocal polyp. However, these differences were not statistically significant (p>0.05). When we divided into two groups depending on the volume of vocal polyp, no distinct tendency was found. When we compared the location (anterior, mid and posterior) of vocal polyp with the improvement of voice quality, more change was found at mid portion vocal polyp, except the difference of VHI. However, these differences were also not statistically significant (p>0.05). Conclusion : All parameter differences tend to be greater at large vocal polyp and polyp of the mid location.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2022

Background and Objectives Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), mucolytics, and steroids were commonly recommended after phonomicrosurgery to prevent worsening of vocal fold (VF) scar formation and subglottal swelling. However, there is no consensus about whether laryngeal reflux and thick discharge are associated with the voice outcomes following phonomicrosurgery in benign VF lesions. The purpose of this study is to examine voice outcomes of use of PPIs, mucolytics,and steroids after phonomicrosurgery. Materials and Method This randomized controlled study is performed with patients undergoing laryngomicroscopic surgery for VF polyp and cyst. Participants were randomly assigned to 1) no medication, 2) PPIs, 3) PPIs+mucolytics, and 4) PPIs+mucolytics+steroids for 2 months postoperatively. Grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, and strain (GRBAS) scale, stroboscopic examination, aerodynamic assessment, acoustic analysis, and Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) were performed pre- and post-operatively at 2 months. Parameters were compared among four groups. Results Among 85 patients, a total of 50 patients were included. The VHI-10, perceptual and acoustic parameters improved in all groups after surgery. However, there was no significant difference in those parameters among all groups. Conclusion PPIs, mucolytics, and steroids did not significantly influence voice outcomes after phonomicrosurgery in patients with benign VF lesions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.63-67
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• 2009

Background and Objectives: In patients with asthma, increased obstruction and resistance of airway result in impairment in the generation of voice. Allergy and nasal polyposis, which are frequently observed in patients with asthma, are other factors that affect the vocal performance. Bronchodilators and steroids are commonly used in the treatment of asthma, and these agents also have been reported to be associated with voice changes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the voice quality in patients with mild to-moderate asthma by subjective and objective methods. Materials and Methods: A total of 36 patients with asthma established in the Department of Respiratory Medicine were included in this study. 23 were women and 13 were men, with a mean age of 51.7 years. The average duration of asthma was 77.0 months. All patients had mild-to moderate asthma. Acoustic and aerodynamic analyses were performed and the movements of the vocal cords were examined by videolaryngostroboscopy (VLS). Voice Handicap Index (VHI) and GRABS scales were used for subjective evaluations. Results: 50% of patients suffered from dysphonia and FO was 119.3${\pm}$23.7 Hz in male and 198.2${\pm}$18.4 Hz in female patients. There were no significant differences in average shimmer and NHR between females (4.90${\pm}$2.95% ; 0.1O${\pm}$0.04 dB) and males (4.64${\pm}$2.45% ; 0.20${\pm}$0.15 dB). However, the value of jitter was greater for females (2.60${\pm}$1.92%) than for males (1.21${\pm}$0.84%). The VHI score was above the normal limit in 35%, and VLS findings were shown diverse abnormality in 89% asthmatics from mucosal change to hyperfunction of supragottis and contact granuloma. But duration of illness and steroid dose did not correlate with these findings. Conclusion: Subjective and objective abnormality was shown in more than 50% of asthmatic patients. We suggest that persons who suffer from asthma should be examined for possible voice disorders by laryngologist. Additionally, appropriate medical care and voice therapy should be provided for those who have voice disorders associated with asthma.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.1210-1217
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• 2008

Sasang medicine is our country's unique traditional medicine based on the classification of individual physical constitution. In the Sasang medicine, what is considered the most important task is to categorize Sasang constitution exactly. Therefore, security of objective elements and diagnosis index is a problem awaiting solution in Sasang constitution classification. To this the paper abstracted result value from objectification, visualization, a fixed quantity of Sasang constitution to analyze face image signals and voice signals. And, comparing the differences constitution would like to develop system classification of Sasang constitution. Specially, image and voice signals are different because of gender, age, region so it composed Sasang constitution group to 40-50 years women in Seoul. To extract of these image and voice signals wanted to perform comparison, analysis in constitution. Finally, it would like to prove a significance of research result through experiment.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.106-111
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• 2017

Background and Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate the criterion-related concurrent validity of two standardized auditory-perceptual assessments and the Acoustic Voice Quality Index (AVQI) for measuring dysphonia severity in patients with vocal cord paralysis (VCP). Materials and Methods : Total 210 patients with VCP and 236 normal voice subjects were asked to sustain the vowel [a:] and to read aloud the Korean text "Walk". A 2 second mid-vowel portion of the sustained vowel and two sentences (with 26 syllables) were recorded. And then voice samples were edited, concatenated, and analyzed according to Praat script. Two standardized auditory-perceptual assessment (GRBAS and CAPE-V) were performed by three raters. Results : The VCP group showed higher AVQI, Grade (G) and Overall Severity (OS) values than normal voice group. And the correlation among AVQI, G, and OS ranged from 0.904 to 0.926. In ROC curve analysis, cutoff values of AVQI, G, and OS were <3.79, <0.00, and <30.00, respectively, and the AUC of each analysis was over .89. Conclusion : AVQI and auditory evaluation can improve the early screening ability of VCP voice and help to establish effective diagnosis and treatment plan for VCP-related dysphonia.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.61-69
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• 2023

Sulcus vocalis is characterized by incomplete closure of the vocal folds, with a high mean airflow rate (MFR) as a distinctive feature. The MFR is measured using two aerodynamic analysis methods [the maximum sustained phonation protocol (MXPH) and voicing efficiency protocol (VOEF)] of the phonatory aerodynamic system (PAS), and the results may vary depending on the method. This study compared the differences in MFR before and after treatment (microsurgery and voice therapy) according to the MXPH and VOEF of the PAS in 30 patients with sulcus vocalis. Additionally, we examined whether there were differences in the subjective voice evaluation (voice handicap index, VHI), perceptual voice evaluation (GRBS), and fundamental frequency (F0) before and after treatment. The results showed significant differences between the two methods, both before and after treatment, in patients with sulcus vocalis. However, there were no significant differences by methods in the changes before and after treatment. The VHI and GRBS scores significantly decreased after treatment; however, F0 showed no significant differences before and after treatment. This study indicates that when evaluating MFR changes in patients with sulcus vocalis, it is acceptable to use either aerodynamic analysis (MXPH or VOEF).