Patients who have lost their voice box through disease, such
as throat cancer, may be able to speak within minutes after a procedure to
create a small opening at the throat.
They could speak within 10 minutes, compared to a two-week
recovery period after the procedure.
The National University of Singapore (NUS), which announced
the new device on Monday, said the one-step system also promises to save cost
and reduce discomfort.
It is developed through an Engineering-in-Medicine project
led by Dr Chui Chee Kiong, of the Mechanical Engineering Department of NUS, and
Dr David Lau, Consultant Ear, Nose & Throat Surgeon at Raffles Hospital.