Читать книгу Applying Phonetics - Murray J. Munro - Страница 29

Early speech investigators had to rely mainly on close observations of the lips, tongue, and teeth in their attempts to understand speech production. Strategic placement of mirrors could also allow limited viewing of the vocal folds and some of the other parts of the larynx and lower pharynx. You might find it surprising that special instruments resembling the modern endoscope (used for viewing internal body structures, including the urinary and digestive tracts) appear to have existed since Roman times and are found among artifacts from Pompei. However, systematic use of such devices did not occur until the advent of the field of endoscopy (viewing and imaging internal structures through insertion of instruments) in the 1800s. The rigid endoscope could be introduced through the mouth to illuminate pharyngeal and laryngeal tissues, allowing a doctor to examine them through an eyepiece. A more recent innovation is the flexible transnasal endoscope (Figure 2.6). After lubrication, a thin spaghetti‐like tube with an attached digital camera and fiberoptic light source is threaded through the nostrils until it enters the pharynx. This permits viewing and video‐recording of the vocal structures while they function. The procedure is relatively painless, entailing only a local anesthetic. Clinicians use it to identify diseases and disorders of the upper respiratory tract, and to evaluate vocal fold condition and function, while speech researchers can study a variety of aspects of normal speech production.

Figure 2.6 Transnasal endoscope

(Source: Adapted from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flexibles_Endoskop.jpg)