1 Introduction to the thesis

1.1 Foreword
1.2 Introduction
1.3 Overview of accomplishments

2 Introduction to the players

2.1 The Glottal Electromagnetic Micropower Sensor

2.1.1 Radar technology and the GEMS
2.1.2 Removing filter response from the GEMS signal
2.1.3 Shaker experiment
2.1.4 Safety issues
2.1.5. Previous tissue work using microwaves

2.2 The tissues of the vocal tract

2.3 How we make and shape sound

2.3.1 Accoustic Impedance of Tubes
2.3.2 Sources of sound in the vocal tract

2.4 Propagation of sound through vocal tract and skin

2.4.1 Lumped-element circuit models
2.4.2 Signal processing methods

3 What is being detected by the radar?

3.1 Theories proposed for the basis of the radar signal
3.2 Electromagnetic calculations and simulations

3.2.1 Dielectric properties of human tissue
3.2.2 Plane-wave scattering from a planar surface
3.2.3 2D finite-element electromagnetic simulations

3.3 High Speed video experiments
3.4 University of Iowa experiments

3.4.1 Comparison of GEMS and IEGG
3.4.2 GEMS position experiment analysis

3.5 Anterior vs. posterior tracheal wall
3.6 Conclusions about physiology and the radar signal

4 Calculating a Voiced Excitation Function

4.1 Converting velocity to pressure using a circuit model
4.2 Human vocal tract transfer function calculations

5 Conclusions

5.1 Suggestions for further work
5.2 Possible applications of the GEMS signal and excitation function

Appendices

A  Inverting a stable filter that is not minimum phase

B  Use of Kodak EktaPro high-speed digital cameras in laryngoscopy

C  Accurate and noise-robust pitch extraction using low power

D  Phonemes in American English

E  Glossary

F  References