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Publication Number
US-9020155-B2
Publication Date
2015-04-28
Expiration Date
Abstract
An electrolarynx includes a motor having a locating diaphragm, a bobbin, and a magnetic assembly. The bobbin includes a striker and coil wires wound about a coil cylinder of an electromagnet. The locating diaphragm maintains the position of the bobbin along the longitudinal axis of the housing. The magnetic assembly includes a magnet and a non-magnetic guide disc that sandwiches the magnet to the housing. The magnet and the coil wires drive the striker and, in turn, a contact diaphragm in the cap of the electrolarynx that makes contact with a patient's throat to produce vibrations similar to those produced by the larynx. To avoid “gravitational wear” of the coil wires against a magnetic cup used to center the coil wires, the walls of the cup are made thinner and the magnetic cup may be replaced with a non-magnetic cup or the magnetic cup is removed altogether.
Core Innovation
The invention provides an electro-larynx for laryngectomee patients that mitigates gravitational wear of coil wires. A waveform generator drives a transducer that includes a striker confined for movement along a housing axis, with the striker oscillating along the housing axis. A locating diaphragm maintains axial alignment between the striker and the transducer components.
The transducer includes a bobbin with a coil cylinder wrapped with coiled wire electrically coupled to the waveform generator to create an electromagnetic field, and a magnet mounted within the housing to interact with the electromagnetic field. A guide disc is telescopingly received within the coil cylinder, with a housing gap and a guide disc gap defined by uniform distances from the relevant inner surfaces and outer surfaces, and with the housing gap configured to be greater than the guide disc gap.
In embodiments using a cup-shaped magnetic/non-magnetic housing, the magnet is provided in a cup and the cup geometry defines a cup gap between coil wires and the cup. The cup gap is configured to be greater than the guide disc gap, and the disclosure also describes alternatives eliminating the cup to provide a slimmer, less obtrusive device, where the locating diaphragm becomes the sole axial-alignment feature when the cup is removed.
Claims Coverage
The document contains three independent claims: one to an electro-larynx structure, and two to methods of extending electrolarynx life. Across these independent claims, the coverage centers on a transducer with a housing axis, a striker oscillating along the housing axis, a magnet interacting with an electromagnetic field, and a gap relationship in which a housing gap or cup gap is greater than a guide disc gap.
Gap relationship with magnet sandwiching
An electro-larynx wherein the transducer includes coiled wire defining a housing gap to an inner surface of a housing and a guide disc defining a guide disc gap to an inner surface of a coil cylinder, with the magnet sandwiched between the guide disc and the housing and wherein the housing gap is greater than the guide disc gap.
Locating diaphragm for striker axial confinement
An electro-larynx including a locating diaphragm configured to confine the striker for movement along the housing axis.
Cup gap greater than guide disc gap
A method of extending the life of an electrolarynx wherein an electrolarynx is provided with a cup-shaped magnetic housing having cup sidewalls that define a cup gap as a uniform first distance from the outer surface of the guide disc, and wherein the cup gap is greater than the guide disc gap.
Housing gap greater than guide disc gap
A method of extending the life of an electrolarynx wherein an electrolarynx is provided with a housing gap defined as a uniform first distance from an inner surface of the housing to the outer surface of the coiled wire, and a guide disc gap defined as a uniform second distance from an inner surface of the coil cylinder to the outer surface of the guide disc, with the housing gap greater than the guide disc gap.
Collectively, the independent claims require an electrolarynx having an electromagnetic transducer with a magnet interacting with a coil electromagnetic field, and a defined gap relationship in which a housing gap or a cup gap is greater than a guide disc gap, with striker motion along a housing axis supported by axial alignment features such as a locating diaphragm. Method claims frame these configurations as extending the life of the electrolarynx.
Stated Advantages
Mitigates gravitational wear of coil wires.
Extends the life of an electrolarynx.
Provides a slimmer, less obtrusive device in alternatives eliminating the cup.
Documented Applications
Use in electrolarynx for laryngectomee patients to mitigate gravitational wear of coil wires.
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