Ultrasound speech recording
Recording UTI and lips
Equipment
Sonix RP ultrasound st up
Many of the STAR UTI datasets were recorded using high-speed Sonix RP ultrasound machine with automatic audio-ultrasound synchronization (see Figure 1). Articulate Assistant Advanced (AAA) software was used to record simultaneous audio and UTI. Microconvex probes were used, fitted to a stabilising headset, worn by participants (see figure 1). Orthographic or pictorial stimuli were presented to speakers via a monitor. Audio recordings were made using an Audio Technica directional clip-on microphone clipped to the side of the ultrasound headset.
Figure 1: Long and short-handled microconvex probes; a probe fitted in the aluminium stabilising headset; the high-speed Sonix RP ultrasound machine
The stabilizing headsets
There are two types of ultrasound tongue imaging headset, supplied by Articulate Instruments.
Aluminium stabilising headset (Figure 2) - is lightweight aluminium and weighs under 1Kg. The headset has thirteen adjustable sections, including a quick-release headstrap at the back of the head, that allow it to be fitted to different sized heads. The probe is held in place underneath the headset, aligned with the midline of the chin in sagittal view. The probe’s sagittal angle can be altered to focus on different sections of the midsagittal tongue. e.g. the root, dorsum, or tip and blade. Front-facing and profile micro-cameras are integrated into the headset on adjustable brackets to film lip movement.
Ultrafit plastic headset (Figure 3) – is fully adjustable, very lightweight (300g) and ideal for child-speech recording. The headset can be widened or narrowed to fit to the speaker’s head, and can be raised using optional additional foam inserts. Velcro straps across the forehead and around the back of the head further stabilise the headset. The probe is held in place under the chin using a single arm on the left side of the head and secured to the right side of the headset using a Velcro strap. The sagittal rotation of the probe can be adjusted to focus on different sections of the tongue, e.g. the root, dorsum, or tip and blade. A micro-camera is integrated into the headset on an adjustable bracket to film the lips in profile.
Figure 2: The aluminium stablilizing headset with integrated micro-cameras
Figure 3: The plastic ultrafit headset with integrated micro-cameras
UTI recording session
The following video shows a UTI recording session with a six-year-old child. The video shows headset fitting, imaging of the speaker’s midsagittal bite plane and hard-palate locations and recording of speech with UTI and lip camera.