Dental appliance for intraoral voice prosthesis

Hospitalized patients who are ventilator-dependent after a tracheostomy or who have inflated tracheal cuffs are unable to vocalize due to occlusion of the airway below the level of the larynx. The voice prostheses currently available are often inadequate, particularly for patients with limited manual dexterity. An adaptation of the Cooper-Rand Electronic Speech Aid with a dental retainer, designed by a speech-language pathologist and a hospital dental service, was a useful alternative for two patients who were unable to produce voice due to tracheal cuff inflation. Both patients had neuromotor impairment and one used the device while also on a respirator. The device allowed these patients to verbally communicate to hospital staff and family members.