* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Monday, August 25, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    ‘The Roses’ review: Olivia Colman, Benedict Cumberbatch sparkle in dark comedy – Yakima Herald-Republic

    The Roses’ Review: Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch Shine in Dark Comedy Delight

    ‘When Calls the Heart’ Fans All Want the Same Thing After Seeing the Show’s Latest Update – yahoo.com

    When Calls the Heart’ Fans Rally Together in Excitement Over Exciting New Update!

    Quotes of the Week: Peacemaker, Project Runway, Countdown and More – yahoo.com

    This Week’s Most Memorable Quotes from Peacemaker, Project Runway, Countdown, and More!

    Drake Appears in Teaser for Bobbi Althoff’s New Podcast ‘Not This Again’ – yahoo.com

    Drake Drops a Surprise Cameo in Bobbi Althoff’s Thrilling New Podcast Teaser ‘Not This Again

    From polka to Poison, Corn Palace adjusts entertainment offerings with the times – Mitchell Republic

    From polka to Poison, Corn Palace adjusts entertainment offerings with the times – Mitchell Republic

    How to watch ‘F1: The Movie’ on Prime Video – About Amazon

    Experience the Thrill: How to Stream ‘F1: The Movie’ on Prime Video

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Ten upcoming sports stadiums where technology takes to the field – Dezeen

    10 Futuristic Sports Stadiums Revolutionizing the Game with Cutting-Edge Technology

    Figure Technology Solutions, Inc. Files Registration Statement for Proposed Initial Public Offering – Business Wire

    Figure Technology Solutions, Inc. Unveils Exciting Plans for Its Upcoming Initial Public Offering

    UNLV Responds to Workforce Need with Microcredential in Nuclear Technology – University of Nevada, Las Vegas | UNLV

    UNLV Unveils Cutting-Edge Microcredential Program to Fuel Growth in Nuclear Technology

    Why Technology Will Never Take Over Completely – Patheos

    Why Technology Will Never Completely Control Our Lives

    Alcorn State awarded grant to boost STEM with VR technology – WJTV

    Alcorn State Secures Grant to Transform STEM Education Through Cutting-Edge VR Technology

    Hyundai: The Only Way To Beat China Is To Embrace Technology – InsideEVs

    Hyundai’s Bold Strategy to Outpace China with Cutting-Edge Technology

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    ‘The Roses’ review: Olivia Colman, Benedict Cumberbatch sparkle in dark comedy – Yakima Herald-Republic

    The Roses’ Review: Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch Shine in Dark Comedy Delight

    ‘When Calls the Heart’ Fans All Want the Same Thing After Seeing the Show’s Latest Update – yahoo.com

    When Calls the Heart’ Fans Rally Together in Excitement Over Exciting New Update!

    Quotes of the Week: Peacemaker, Project Runway, Countdown and More – yahoo.com

    This Week’s Most Memorable Quotes from Peacemaker, Project Runway, Countdown, and More!

    Drake Appears in Teaser for Bobbi Althoff’s New Podcast ‘Not This Again’ – yahoo.com

    Drake Drops a Surprise Cameo in Bobbi Althoff’s Thrilling New Podcast Teaser ‘Not This Again

    From polka to Poison, Corn Palace adjusts entertainment offerings with the times – Mitchell Republic

    From polka to Poison, Corn Palace adjusts entertainment offerings with the times – Mitchell Republic

    How to watch ‘F1: The Movie’ on Prime Video – About Amazon

    Experience the Thrill: How to Stream ‘F1: The Movie’ on Prime Video

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Ten upcoming sports stadiums where technology takes to the field – Dezeen

    10 Futuristic Sports Stadiums Revolutionizing the Game with Cutting-Edge Technology

    Figure Technology Solutions, Inc. Files Registration Statement for Proposed Initial Public Offering – Business Wire

    Figure Technology Solutions, Inc. Unveils Exciting Plans for Its Upcoming Initial Public Offering

    UNLV Responds to Workforce Need with Microcredential in Nuclear Technology – University of Nevada, Las Vegas | UNLV

    UNLV Unveils Cutting-Edge Microcredential Program to Fuel Growth in Nuclear Technology

    Why Technology Will Never Take Over Completely – Patheos

    Why Technology Will Never Completely Control Our Lives

    Alcorn State awarded grant to boost STEM with VR technology – WJTV

    Alcorn State Secures Grant to Transform STEM Education Through Cutting-Edge VR Technology

    Hyundai: The Only Way To Beat China Is To Embrace Technology – InsideEVs

    Hyundai’s Bold Strategy to Outpace China with Cutting-Edge Technology

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Science

New self-powered throat patch could help people speak without vocal cords

March 13, 2024
in Science
New self-powered throat patch could help people speak without vocal cords
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

photo shows a shiny black patch made up of small squares stuck to a man's throat; he's wearing a white button down over a blue t shirt

A new device can detect movements of the neck muscles and transform them into speech.
(Image credit: Prof. Jun Chen Lab at UCLA)

A new, flexible device that clings to the neck can translate muscular movements into speech, enabling people to talk without using their vocal cords.

The small patch not only detects the movements of the throat associated with speech, but also harnesses that movement to generate electricity, meaning the device can be operated without a battery or being plugged in.

The device, described in a study published Tuesday (March 12) in the journal Nature Communications, could theoretically help people with voice disorders caused by damaged or paralyzed vocal cords communicate, including those recovering from throat cancer surgery.

Lead study author Jun Chen, an assistant professor of bioengineering at the University of California, Los Angeles, told Live Science that the idea for the patch arose after he’d spent several hours lecturing and felt his voice becoming tired. He began to imagine a way to solve this problem, to make it possible for a person to speak without using their vocal cords, also known as “vocal folds.”

Related: Brain-computer interface helps patient with locked-in syndrome communicate 

That thought led Chen and his colleagues to design a soft patch that might enable people to speak when they’ve lost that ability or are recovering from a transient vocal disorder.

The patch’s design relies on research published in 2021 in the journal Nature Materials, as well as previous materials research, said Chen, who was the senior author of that 2021 study.

Since the mid-19th century, scientists have known that the magnetic properties of some rigid metals can be changed when they’re put under mechanical stress. An example of this is an alloy of iron and gallium, called Galfenol, whose magnetic state changes when you squeeze or deform the material. In their 2021 study, Chen and his colleagues showed the same concept could work with a soft material made of tiny magnets embedded inside thin silicon.

Now, in their latest study, the team has harnessed this material in a patch that responds to the subtle stress placed on it by the movement of throat muscles. When a person executes the movements needed to talk, the material responds by producing electrical signals that can be translated into speech.

To accomplish this, the patch is made of five very thin layers. The outer layers of the patch are made of a soft, flexible silicon material, while the middle layer, made of silicon and micromagnets, generates a magnetic field that varies with the movement of the throat muscles. The two layers surrounding it, made of coils of copper wire, translate these magnetic-field changes into electrical signals.

These electrical signals then get fed to a machine-learning algorithm that translates the pulses into speech. To train the algorithm, each participant in the study repeated five short phrases 100 times each while the program tracked their throat movements. This taught the system to associate specific movements with a given phrase.

In a demonstration of the tech involving eight people without speech problems, the algorithm was about 95% accurate at translating the patch’s electrical impulses into speech. These tests were done using the same short phrases and sentences the algorithm was trained on, including “Merry Christmas” and “I hope your experiments are going well,” which the individuals said while standing still, walking and running.

In different experiments, the participants were asked to speak the sentences aloud or to “voicelessly pronounce” them. These tests suggest that, in either case, the algorithm can reliably translate the muscle movements into the correct waveforms.

A soft patch that can transform throat muscle movements into speech in an open palm.

the new patch shown in the palm of a person’s hand(Image credit: Prof. Jun Chen Lab at UCLA)

A close-up of the new magnetoelastic throat patch

A soft patch that can transform throat muscle movements into speech.

hands shown gently pulling on the patch, to separate the small slits on its surface(Image credit: Prof. Jun Chen Lab at UCLA)

The new patch is flexible and designed to stick to the neck.

Although these results are promising, the patch is still in the early stages of development. Its testing was limited to just the eight people saying a few phrases, and it has yet to be tested in people with speech disorders. Chen said another limitation is that the current manufacturing process for the patch would need to be scaled up and made more efficient for a large number of patches to be produced.

Looking ahead, the researchers also want to increase the device’s ability to translate sentences, Chen added.

According to a 2005 survey published in the journal Laryngoscope, about 30% of people will have at least one voice disorder in their lifetime. And the Cleveland Clinic reports that between 3% and 9% of people in the U.S. will experience aphonia, or lose their voice. Aphonia can manifest as hoarseness, not being able to speak above a whisper, or a total loss of the voice.

Existing technologies to help people who can’t speak — such as a small battery-operated device called an electrolarynx — are often expensive or invasive, and many people can’t access them. Other devices rely on translating written text or a collection of symbols into speech, which doesn’t offer a direct replacement for talking. If proven effective, the new patch could make assistive technology like this more convenient and less invasive, the authors wrote in their report.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice.

Ever wonder why some people build muscle more easily than others or why freckles come out in the sun? Send us your questions about how the human body works to [email protected] with the subject line “Health Desk Q,” and you may see your question answered on the website!

Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.

Rebecca Sohn is a freelance science writer. She writes about a variety of science, health and environmental topics, and is particularly interested in how science impacts people’s lives. She has been an intern at CalMatters and STAT, as well as a science fellow at Mashable. Rebecca, a native of the Boston area, studied English literature and minored in music at Skidmore College in Upstate New York and later studied science journalism at New York University. 

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Live Science – https://www.livescience.com/health/new-self-powered-throat-patch-could-help-people-speak-without-vocal-cords

Tags: scienceSelf-poweredthroat
Previous Post

How Exercise Can Help Ease Osteoarthritis Joint Pain

Next Post

Every 2.4 million years, Mars tugs on Earth so hard it changes the ocean floor

South Carolina city selected to host 2027 Diamond Youth Baseball World Series – WRDW

South Carolina City Selected to Host the Exciting 2027 Diamond Youth Baseball World Series

August 25, 2025

Brazil’s low-voltage consumers could save 16% on power bills – Valor International

August 25, 2025
‘The Roses’ review: Olivia Colman, Benedict Cumberbatch sparkle in dark comedy – Yakima Herald-Republic

The Roses’ Review: Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch Shine in Dark Comedy Delight

August 25, 2025
Georgia lawmakers plan for federal cuts to already ‘underfunded’ public health services – Grice Connect

Georgia Lawmakers Prepare to Fight Federal Cuts Threatening Public Health Services

August 25, 2025
Poverty and Policy, Not Politics, Drive Crime in American Cities | Opinion – Newsweek

How Poverty and Policy Drive Crime in American Cities-Beyond Politics

August 25, 2025
Pressured researchers in ecology and conservation demand support to guarantee fair interactions with stakeholders – ScienceDirect.com

Pressured researchers in ecology and conservation demand support to guarantee fair interactions with stakeholders – ScienceDirect.com

August 25, 2025
What moving averages say about Genenta Science S.p.A. Depositary Receipt – Stop Loss & Technical Pattern Based Signals – Newser

What Moving Averages Reveal About Genenta Science S.p.A.: Key Stop Loss Strategies and Technical Patterns Uncovered

August 25, 2025
Asking Eric: My partner’s unhealthy lifestyle is killing our relationship – MassLive

How My Partner’s Unhealthy Habits Are Driving a Wedge Between Us

August 25, 2025
Ten upcoming sports stadiums where technology takes to the field – Dezeen

10 Futuristic Sports Stadiums Revolutionizing the Game with Cutting-Edge Technology

August 25, 2025
WEATHER REPORT: Notre Dame Fighting Irish VS Miami Hurricanes – Yahoo Sports

Epic Showdown Ahead: Notre Dame Fighting Irish Clash with Miami Hurricanes

August 25, 2025

Categories

Archives

August 2025
MTWTFSS
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Jul    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (789)
  • Economy (809)
  • Entertainment (21,689)
  • General (16,667)
  • Health (9,850)
  • Lifestyle (822)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (810)
  • Politics (818)
  • Science (16,020)
  • Sports (21,308)
  • Technology (15,790)
  • World (791)

Recent News

South Carolina city selected to host 2027 Diamond Youth Baseball World Series – WRDW

South Carolina City Selected to Host the Exciting 2027 Diamond Youth Baseball World Series

August 25, 2025

Brazil’s low-voltage consumers could save 16% on power bills – Valor International

August 25, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version