Patent ID: 7856983

Claim:
Apparatus for assisting phonation in a wearer of a tracheostomy tube having a first end lying outside the trachea of the wearer in the use orientation, a second end lying inside the trachea of the wearer in the use orientation, a first lumen coupling the first and second ends of the tracheostomy tube and a fenestration through a sidewall of the tracheostomy tube coupling the first lumen to the outside of the tracheostomy tube, the apparatus including a cannula for insertion into the first lumen from the first end of the tracheostomy tube, the cannula including a first end lying outside the first end of the tracheostomy tube in the use orientation, a second end lying within the first lumen adjacent and toward the first end of the tracheostomy tube from the fenestration, and a second lumen coupling the first and second ends of the cannula, a one-way valve at the second end of the cannula, the second end of the cannula being positioned toward the first end of the tracheostomy tube from the fenestration when the cannula is in the use orientation in the tracheostomy tube, the one-way valve permitting the flow of gases from the first end of the cannula to the second end of the cannula when the first end of the cannula is at a higher pressure than the second end of the cannula, but impeding the flow of gases from the second end of the cannula to the first end of the cannula when the second end of the cannula is at a higher pressure than the first end of the cannula.