Vocal folds lesions are commonly diagnosed using an endoscopic-stroboscope. However, the stroboscopic picture of the vocal folds vibrations is subjectively and qualitatively evaluated by the clinician and, due to technical limitations, is unable to accurately distinguish between healthy and pathologic regions. In this paper, we propose two optical approaches for objectively sensing the vocal folds vibrations, using either external or internal laser illumination, based on temporal tracking of the reflected spatial distribution of secondary speckle patterns. The external configuration (the neck) is noninvasive and the internal configuration (the larynx) allows simultaneous extraction of data from multiple sites on the vocal folds. In this paper, we present measurements of healthy human subjects. Quantitative and precise measurements of vibration parameters of the vocal folds will enable a better understanding of hidden pathologies and optimize the diagnosis and treatment.

Cilia motion is an indicator of pathological-ciliary function, however current diagnosis relies on biopsies. In this paper, we propose an innovative approach for sensing cilia motility. We present an endoscopic configuration for measuring the motion frequency of cilia in the nasal cavity. The technique is based on temporal tracking of the reflected spatial distribution of defocused speckle patterns while illuminating the cilia with a laser. The setup splits the optical signal into two channels; One imaging channel is for the visualization of the physician and another is, defocusing channel, to capture the speckles. We present in-vivo measurements from healthy subjects undergoing endoscopic examination. We found an average motion frequency of around 7.3 Hz and 9.8 Hz in the antero-posterior nasal mucus (an area rich in cilia), which matches the normal cilia range of 7–16 Hz. Quantitative and precise measurements of cilia vibration will optimize the diagnosis and treatment of pathological-ciliary function. This method is simple, minimally invasive, inexpensive, and promising to distinguish between normal and ciliary dysfunction.