Voice prosthesis device

摘要

Voice prosthesis devices of known type to be inserted into a surgical fistula communicating between the trachea and esophagus of a laryngectomized patient have included a one-way valve that permits channeling air from the trachea into the esophagus of the wearer while preventing flow of esophageal material into the trachea. Heretofore, the one-way valves in certain of such prosthesis devices were in the form of a flap-type check valve having a membrane-like flap or disc anchored at a segment of the margin to the interior or intraluminal surface of a tubular housing. The present invention provides an improvement in such voice prosthesis devices in the form of a novel way of anchoring the membrane-like flaps or discs to the tubular housings whereby when the prosthesis devices are manufactured in commercial quantities the method of attachment provides a uniform resistance to airflow for each prosthesis formed of corresponding production components. The pre-determined and uniform resistance to airflow offered by the one-way valves of the present invention is consistently equal to, less than, or greater than the resistance offered by the normal larynx to suit the individual need of the patient.