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Synthetic, Multi-Layer, Self-Oscillating Vocal Fold Model Fabrication
Published on: December 2, 2011
Model of evoked rabbit phonation.
Ping Jiang Ge1, Lesley C French, Tsunehisa Ohno
1Department of Otolaryngology, Vanderbilt University Bill Wilkerson Center for Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-4480, USA.
The Annals of Otology, Rhinology, and Laryngology
|February 28, 2009
Summary
Researchers developed a method to induce phonation in rabbits using cricothyroid muscle stimulation and airflow. This in vivo rabbit model offers a new option for studying evoked phonation.
Area of Science:
- Laryngology
- Animal Models
- Bioengineering
Background:
- Phonation research often requires animal models.
- Developing reliable in vivo models is crucial for studying vocal fold dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a novel method for eliciting phonation in an in vivo rabbit model.
- To establish a small animal preparation for evoked phonation research.
Main Methods:
- Utilized ten New Zealand White rabbits (3-5 kg).
- Bipolar pulsed stimulation (50 Hz, 4 mA, 1 ms pulses) applied to isolated cricothyroid muscles.
- Airflow (143 cm³/s) delivered to the glottis via endotracheal tube.
Main Results:
- Successfully evoked phonation with consistent vocal fold adduction.
- Phonation produced sound pressure levels ranging from 71 to 85 dB.
- Stimulation was sustained for 180 minutes with repeated pulse trains.
Conclusions:
- Evoked phonation is feasible in rabbits via cricothyroid muscle stimulation and airflow.
- The rabbit model provides a valuable small animal option for evoked phonation studies.
- Hypothesized current spread to adjacent structures contributed to vocal fold approximation and phonation.
