Program: TAČR ALFA 4
Duration: 2014 - 2017
Summary: The goal of the project is to develop a sophisticated software for videokymography (VKG) which will enable automatic evaluation of medical videokymographic recordings of vibrating vocal folds and arrive at correct medical diagnosis. Further goal is to develop a certified method of VKG evaluation to be used in clinical practice. VKG camera is an existing device which was developed in 1994 in collaboration of Czech and Dutch colleagues. It has been used for diagnosis of vocal fold vibration problems caused by various voice disorders, the most serious being vocal fold cancer. Currently, evaluation of VKG recordings can be done only by a highly experienced clinician. The evaluation is complicated and time-consuming. Therefore the method has not been widely used. Addition of a software for automatic evaluation will allow wider, more efficient and less time-demanding application of the method in clinical practice and an early and rather inexpensive diagnosis of tumorous states. It will allow detecting vocal fold cancer at an early stage when the treatment can be done noninvasively or by a simple surgical intervention so that the quality of life is preserved. The project is based on collaboration of four partners: clinical centre specialized in diagnosis and treatment of voice disorders (Voice Centre Prague, Medical Healthcom, Ltd), team of the inventor of the method of videokymography (dr. Svec, Department of Biophysics, Palacky University Olomouc), research institute specialized in digital image analysis (Institute of Information Theory and Automation, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic) and a company experienced in diagnostic product development (STARMANS electronics).
