Enhancement of electrolarynx speech based on auditory masking. 2006

Hanjun Liu, and Qin Zhao, and Mingxi Wan, and Supin Wang
Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.

Electrolarynx (EL) speech provides a valuable means of verbal communication for the laryngectomees. Yet EL speech tends to be less intelligible speech due to the presence of background noise. This paper addresses the issue of EL speech enhancement. The proposed approach takes into account the frequency-domain masking properties of the human auditory system for a subtractive-type enhancement process. Subtractive-type algorithms can efficiently reduce the radiated noise of EL speech but not to reduce the additive noise from the environment due to the use of fixed subtraction parameters. Considering the particular characteristics of EL speech, a new computationally efficient algorithm based on the perceptual weighting technique is developed to adapt the subtraction parameters. This leads to a significant reduction of the unnatural structure of the residual noise. Acoustic and perceptual experiments confirm that the enhanced EL speech is more pleasant to human listeners and the proposed algorithm results in improved performance over classical subtractive-type algorithms.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007831 Larynx, Artificial A device, activated electronically or by expired pulmonary air, which simulates laryngeal activity and enables a laryngectomized person to speak. Examples of the pneumatic mechanical device are the Tokyo and Van Hunen artificial larynges. Electronic devices include the Western Electric electrolarynx, Tait oral vibrator, Cooper-Rand electrolarynx and the Ticchioni pipe. Artificial Larynx,Laryngeal Prosthesis,Voice Prosthesis,Artificial Larynges,Laryngeal Prostheses,Larynges, Artificial,Prostheses, Laryngeal,Prostheses, Voice,Prosthesis, Laryngeal,Prosthesis, Voice,Voice Prostheses
D010470 Perceptual Masking The interference of one perceptual stimulus with another causing a decrease or lessening in perceptual effectiveness. Masking, Perceptual,Maskings, Perceptual,Perceptual Maskings
D003143 Communication Aids for Disabled Equipment that provides mentally or physically disabled persons with a means of communication. The aids include display boards, typewriters, cathode ray tubes, computers, and speech synthesizers. The output of such aids includes written words, artificial speech, language signs, Morse code, and pictures. Augmentative and Alternative Communications Systems,Communication Aids for Handicapped,Communication Boards,Speech Synthesizers,Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf,TDD,TTY Telephone,Text Telecommunication,Text Telecommunication Devices,Text Telephone,Communication Board,Speech Synthesizer,Synthesizer, Speech,Synthesizers, Speech,TTY Telephones,Telecommunication Device, Text,Telecommunication Devices, Text,Telecommunication, Text,Telecommunications, Text,Text Telecommunication Device,Text Telecommunications,Text Telephones
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000465 Algorithms A procedure consisting of a sequence of algebraic formulas and/or logical steps to calculate or determine a given task. Algorithm
D001184 Articulation Disorders Disorders of the quality of speech characterized by the substitution, omission, distortion, and addition of phonemes. Phonological Impairments,Speech Articulation Disorders,Articulation Disorders, Developmental,Developmental Articulation Disorders,Disarticulation Disorders,Misarticulation,Phonology Impairment,Unintelligible Articulation,Articulation Disorder,Articulation Disorder, Developmental,Articulation Disorder, Speech,Articulation Disorders, Speech,Articulation, Unintelligible,Articulations, Unintelligible,Developmental Articulation Disorder,Disarticulation Disorder,Disorder, Disarticulation,Disorders, Disarticulation,Impairment, Phonological,Impairment, Phonology,Impairments, Phonological,Impairments, Phonology,Phonological Impairment,Phonology Impairments,Speech Articulation Disorder,Unintelligible Articulations
D001307 Auditory Perception The process whereby auditory stimuli are selected, organized, and interpreted by the organism. Auditory Processing,Perception, Auditory,Processing, Auditory
D013068 Speech Production Measurement Measurement of parameters of the speech product such as vocal tone, loudness, pitch, voice quality, articulation, resonance, phonation, phonetic structure and prosody. Measurement, Speech Production,Measurements, Speech Production,Production Measurement, Speech,Production Measurements, Speech,Speech Production Measurements
D013071 Speech, Alaryngeal Methods of enabling a patient without a larynx or with a non-functional larynx to produce voice or speech. The methods may be pneumatic or electronic. Voice Production, Alaryngeal,Alaryngeal Speech,Alaryngeal Voice Production,Alaryngeal Voice Productions,Production, Alaryngeal Voice,Productions, Alaryngeal Voice,Voice Productions, Alaryngeal

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