LARYNX:

The Larynx is the cartilaginous cavity at the top of the Trachea (windpipe) to create sounds. According to [Gray], it "is the organ of voice." There could be a double meaning, there.

Notes From Prosthetics:

Sometimes the medical discipline of prosthetics provides some information usable in androtics. Other times androtics may enhance prosthetics. This is one area. Bioactive and biocompatible materials making a properly engineered and designed HTA "voice box" could be implanted in a human to restore speech taken away by cancer or trauma. This incorporation into a living human body may require some of the late breaking developments in anatomically compatible devices; e.g. artificial neurons.

Designing/Engineering Notes:

What is immediately impressive from [Gray] about his topic "The Organs of Voice and Respiration" is that he cites a study by Sappey giving certain dimensions. Although only four vectors, they are so important they bear reproduction as "fair use" even with ambiguous location:

Adult	In males	In females
Vertical Diameter	44mm	36mm
Transverse Diameter Side-to-side.	43mm	41mm
Anterior-Posterior Diameter Front-to-back.	36mm	26mm
Circumference	136mm	112mm

Notice that the Transverse diameter-to the Anterior-posterior diameter is closest to the "golden section" of 1:1.618 in the female; for what it is worth. Surely it must enhance sound quality for singing.

So, by "mock statistical" extension; ((1-((male-female)/male))*female); for a juvenile female:

Juvenile	Female
Vertical Diameter	29.45mm
Transverse Diameter	36.09mm
Anterior-Posterior Diameter	18.78mm
Circumference	92.24mm

Are these values less than a female child?

The next factor is the vertical location or extent:
.     Adult male: Fourth, fifth, and sixth Cervical vertebrae.

.     Adult females and children: "Somewhat higher" than the adult male seems vague.

.     Infants: Are yet even closer to the Axis. There is not any noticeable difference between males and females until puberty. So, the "Adams Apple" descends the distance between equivalent points spanning two vertebrae and their disks on average; males a bit more, females a bit less.

The position is juveniles is adjusted proportionately to the desired voice pitch. E.g. an young masculine android designed for a deep, resonating, baritone voice could use the adult male location. A feminine teenager designed for nearly a "little girl" voice would be somewhere between "somewhat higher" and even closer to the Atlas.

Another clue to the vertical position is that the throat length from the lips to the larynx is typically six to seven inches in an adult [Boyd, 9 Aug. 1999]. Presumably, the average female is closer to the six inch part of the range while the male is closer to the seven inch. Also, it can be assumed that the "lips" is congruent with the [Farkas] point "sto" while the exact point at the Larynx is a the center of the vocal cord opening.

Frame Elements:

Larynx frame elements are not made of bone as other topic entries. The closest is limited to the Hyoid, but that is only by proximity. The Larynx's "frame elements" are made of a cartilage. They are:

.    Thyroid,

.    Cricoid,

.    Epiglottis,

.    two Arytenoid,

.    two Cornicula Laryngis,

and
.    two Cuneiform.

Articulations:

Muscles of the Larynx are in two groups and two actions. The two structure groups are:

Of the vocal cords:
.    Crico-thyroid; tenses and elongates the vocal cords,

.    Crico-arytenoideus posticus; opens the glottis,

.    Crico-arytenoideus lateralis; closes the glottis with the Arytenoideus,

.    Arytenoideus; closes the glottis with the Crico-arytenoideus lateralis,

and
.    Thyro-arytenoideus; relax and shortens the vocal cords.

Of the epiglottis:
.    Thyro-epiglottideus (depresses the epiglottis),

.    Aryteno-epiglottideus superior,

and
.    Aryteno-epiglottideus inferior.

The action classifications are noted wherein appropriate. The Aryteno-epiglottidei seem to be the coughing muscles.

Innermost Layer of Muscles and Other Tissues:

This innermost layer of tissues includes the
.    Cricoid,

.    Epiglottis,

and the
.    Arytenoids.

Intermediate Layer of Muscles and Other Tissues:

The intermediary muscles and fascia of and around the human Larynx are the:

.    Thyroid

and the
.    Hyoid.

Internal Components:

The Larynx is a subassembly which is an internal component of the neck. Therefore, the respective internal components to the Larynx are the vocal cords, the Cricoid, and the Epiglottis.

Final Layers and Artifacts:

As the larynx is a subassembly of the neck, there are no proper final layers and artifacts. This subtopic is best addressed in the "Head & Neck" topic.

Inspection Criteria:

Applicable inspection criteria unique to the Larynx subassembly is like:

.    Is the subassembly small enough to fit within the android's neck and sternum region?

.    Does the mating surfaces fit their compliment?

.    Is it light enough to be of proportional weight?

.    Can it generate its human-like sounds to pitch and volume?

.    Is the color lifelike enough to blend in the neck?

Trivia:

No identified trivia yet.

INDEX:    See also "Head & Neck" and "Hyoid."