Take a moment to think of the impact that losing your voice could have on your life. It could ruin your career, especially if you rely on your voice like a singer or broadcaster does, or make life terribly difficult as far as simple communication between friends and family is concerned. Unfortunately, according to the
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, approximately 7.5 million Americans have trouble using their voices and are facing this frightening prospect today.
Voice disorders are a widespread problem and much is still left to be learned. Several organizations exist to help raise awareness about the issue and a host of scientists and researchers are dedicated to uncovering the mysteries of the human voice, including Dr. Dimitar Deliyski, a renowned researcher at the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health. Committed to advancing the scientific understanding of the human voice, Dr. Deliyski has recently embarked on a five-year study to develop a new methodology to help diagnose voice disorders and to advance the basic science of understanding voice. The research is supported by a $3.1 million RO1 grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
With the help of Vision Research, a leading manufacturer of high-speed digital imaging solutions, Dr. Deliyski will explore the movements of the human vocal folds using a revolutionary procedure known as laryngeal high-speed video-endoscopy (HSV). Through the use of HSV, Dr. Deliyski will be able to analyze and capture the motions of human vocal folds as they vibrate to produce sound. Due to the fact that human vocal folds vibrate at considerable speeds – sometimes upwards of 1,000 times per second – Dr. Deliyski required a high-speed digital camera that was as unique and revolutionary as the project that he was spear-heading. It was essential to the success of the research that the high-speed digital camera employed boasted an impressive marriage of features, including high-sensitivity, bit-depth, resolution and speed, and for this Dr. Deliyski turned to Vision Research.