Until recently, the vocal tract has been a bit of a mystery; mostly because when someone talks, we can’t immediately see what’s going on. Now, thanks to ultrasound technology, we can see what the tongue is actually doing during the entire speech process.

By placing an ultrasound probe under the chin we can clearly identify the tongue. This is useful in linguistics, where this observation can be used to improve and study pronunciations. Because each speech sound has a distinct tongue shape, ultrasound can reveal insights into how a person produces specific sounds. 

Next week we will be showcasing Clarius at Ultrafest VIII, the 8th meeting of researchers interested in ultrasound imaging for linguistic investigation. Our wireless, hand-held ultrasound scanner is ideal for imaging the tongue. Users can stream to any mobile device, and can choose from two different tongue imaging modes: A wide field of view, and a high frame rate.

Clarius Scanners come with access to the Clarius Cloud Storage and Image Management portal offering secure access from anywhere with an Internet access.  All this is available for about the cost of a transducer on a traditional high quality ultrasound machine. 

Because it is completely noiseless, Clarius is also a good option for audio booths, or in educational environments.

Below are two images of the tongue taken with a Clarius Ultrasound Scanner.

To learn more about the benefits of hand-held ultrasound, and how it can impact linguistics click here.