Patent ID: 7166128

Claim:
A voice prosthesis comprising: a spool-shaped hollow body for insertion into a fistula in a tracheoesophageal wall of a patient, said body having an open tracheal end an open esophageal end; a first retention flange at said tracheal end of said body; a second retention flange at said esophageal end of said body, said body defining a through passage between said tracheal end and said esophageal end; a valve seat formed by said body at said esophageal end thereof; a valve flap cooperating with said valve seat to control air flow through said through passage of said body, said valve flap occluding air flow through said through passage in a closed position of said valve flap against said valve seat; a permanently magnetically attracted material disposed on an opposed one of said valve flap and said valve seat, said magnet and said magnetically attracted material providing a magnet force between said valve flap and said valve seat in said closed position of said valve flap; and a permanent magnet on one of the valve flap and valve seat, providing a permanent magnetic force on said permanently magnetically attracted material; seating surfaces formed by said valve flap and said valve seat, respectively, to be pressed against each other by a magnetic force in said closed position, said magnet force normally maintaining said valve flap in sealing engagement with said valve seat in said closed position to be disengaged therefrom by an overpressure in trachea overcoming said magnet force.