Soft Robotic Total Larynx Replacement

A single soft robotic device aims to replace the entire larynx, using flexible materials and muscle signals to let patients breathe, speak, and swallow without choking. Current total laryngectomy removes the voice box entirely, leaving patients with a permanent tracheostomy and no natural way to speak or protect their airway from food and liquid. Existing mechanical replacements rely on rigid, multi-component designs that fail to mimic the larynx’s complex musculature and increase infection risk. This project addresses that gap by exploiting soft robotics—flexible, elastic materials that can morph into compliant shapes—to build a monolithic synthetic larynx. The device is controlled by electromyography, reading electrical signals from preserved neck and mouth muscles to infer when the user is speaking or swallowing. If successful, the implant would restore three core larynx functions—aspiration prevention, respiration, and phonation—in a single biocompatible unit, with a failsafe mode. This could transform life for laryngectomy patients, eliminating the need for external voice prosthetics or permanent stoma care. The research is applied and device-focused, with immediate clinical relevance rather than fundamental science.