Acoustic and perceptual assessment of speech using a voice-prosthesis with valvular and manual occlusion

Acoustic and perceptual analyses for the accomplished user of a voice prosthesis were performed. The study was performed to discover whether the performance and intelligibility of speech improved with the use of the tracheal stomal (TS) valve as compared with speech achieved by occlusion of the stoma with the thumb. Our data suggest that the speech produced in the patient tested was less desirable with the use of a TS valve than when manual occlusion was used.