Labex INSPIRATION ELECTROLARYNX User manual

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LABEX™INSPIRATION ELECTROLARYNX
USER MANUAL

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OVERVIEW
What is Labex Inspiration
Labex Inspiration is a digital electrolarynx device. It
is specially designed to help laryngectomees talk.
Its main feature is the touch slider that allows the
user to change the intonation while speaking.
Labex Inspiration is a CLASS I medical device.
General principle of operation for all models
electrolarynxes manufactured by Labex Trade Ltd.:
The digital electrolarynx produces mechanical
vibrations with a low sound frequency between 60-
195 Hz. Applied to the neck, these vibrations
create trembling in the oral cavity compensating
for the energy generated from the lungs.
The combination of starting and stopping sound
vibrations and oral articulation creates
comprehensible speech.

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In the box
In the box, you will find everything you need to
start using the device:
1 –Labex Inspiration electrolarynx device;
2 –USB charging cable (USB A to micro-USB type
B);
3 –Intelligent USB charger 5V 2A;
4 –Labex lanyard;
5 –User manual;
6 –Warranty card.

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Parts and buttons
Labex Inspiration consists of several main
components:
1) Top Cap –The part which you press against the
neck to receive the sound.
2) Touch Slider –Touch to produce sound, and
slide your finger up and down to change the pitch.
3) LED Bar –Active LED bar that
shows you information like
current pitch level, battery level,
etc.
4) Settings Button (FB) –Used for
changing settings, adjustments,
and checking the battery
discharge level.
5) Red LED –Indicates when the
battery is fully charged.
6) Green LED –Indicates that the
charger slot is properly
connected to the power supply.

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7) USB Port –Used to charge the device with the
included USB cable.
8) ON/OFF Switch –Used to turn the device on or
off.

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GETTING STARTED
Basic use
The device is partially charged by the
manufacturer. After you take the device out of the
box, you need to fully charge it before starting
usage.
Charging is carried out by the charger included in
the box. Plug the provided USB cable into the USB
Port of the device, connect the other end of the
cable to the charger and plug the charger into the
socket. The Green and Red LEDs on the bottom of
the device will turn on.
The Green LED next to the micro-USB slot shows
that the charger slot is properly connected to the
power supply.
While the Red LED is on, the charging is not
complete. The Red LED turns off when the charging
process is completed.
NOTE: Due to safety regulations a device usage
while charging is denied.

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If you turn the device on from the bottom switch
while charging and try to use it, the device will not
emit sound and the LED Bar will blink in Red to
warn you. To use the device, simply disconnect the
charger.
After charging the device, it must
be turned on.
To do this, use the ON/OFF Switch located on the
bottom of the device.
A short and quiet sound will be emitted which
indicates that the internal mechanical system of
the device is working properly. The active LED strip
illuminates briefly and indicates the battery level.
Normal operation of the device is done when the
Top Cap of the device is pressed firmly against the
neck, then activate the sound by placing your
finger on the touch panel to speak. Moving your
finger up and down will increase and decrease the
pitch of the sound, respectively. Тhis allows the
expression of intonation

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NOTE: During the turn-on process the device
performs quick calibration of the touch sensors. It
is important to keep the Touch Bar untouched
while switching the unit ON to avoid missing or
improper sensitivity.
Finding the sweet spot
A sweet spot is called a place on the throat area
where you feel the sound from the electrolarynx
transmits through the neck tissue and out of the
oral cavity with the most clarity.
The easiest way to find your sweet spot is by tightly
pressing the electrolarynx Top Cap in different
locations on your neck area and articulating a
single vowel while pressing on the Touch Bar.
What you are looking for is the place on your neck,
which best transmits the sound. While looking for
a sweet spot, it is crucial that you press the device
tightly against your neck tissue so the sound
transmits through the tissue and out of the oral
cavity. Take your time finding your sweet spot –
this is the most important part of learning to use

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an electrolarynx. Finding just the right place will set
you up for success.
First Words
After you have pinpointed the desired spot, you
can start making some basic sounds. It is crucial to
over-articulate every sound with your mouth until
you feel comfortable. After that, you can start
practicing short words. Slowly work your way up to
sentences and conversation.
In some cases, talking can be achieved in a month,
in other cases, it can take only 3 days.
For a more detailed guide, please check our blog:
https://labextrade.com/tips-for-using-
electrolarynx/

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USING THE INSPIRATION
ELECTROLARYNX
The Inspiration can be configured to work in
different modes which will be presented later.
However, the daily usage is reduced to 3 simple
functionalities:
•Speak & change the pitch while talking by
sliding on the Touch Slider. Touch the panel
to start the sound and slide on to change the
pitch. Release to stop the sound.
•Quickly raise or lower the volume level. To do
so first touch the slider, this will start the
sound and let you hear the current volume.
While keeping your finger on the slider press
and hold the Settings Button - sliding to the
top will raise the volume, sliding down will
lower the volume. Release the Settings
Button to confirm the desired volume.
•Check the battery discharge level and the
current intonation mode. Press and hold the

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Settings Button only for a couple of seconds.
The LED Bar will show the remaining capacity
of the battery. If all or nearly all LEDs light up,
that means the battery is close to full. If there
are only one or two LEDs that light up, then
your battery should be charged soon. If you
continue holding the Settings Button, for a
second all LEDs will turn off and after another
second only one LED will light up,
corresponding to the number of the current
intonation mode.
THE VARIETY OF MODES
ARE COMBINED INTO THE
FOLLOWING GROUPS:
Intonational variations
•Standard /by default/. Regardless of the
touch position, the starting pitch is fixed.
Sliding up/down the slider will raise or lower
the pitch.

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•Linear. The pitch depends only on the finger
position on the slider.
•Musical notes. The slider is divided into 8
zones and each presents one note from the D
Major range.
•East Asian modulation. This is a variation of
the linear mode.
Which tonal variation you choose depends on your
preferences.
NOTE: Practice! It is recommended that you find
the “sweet spot”first and start speaking syllables
and words, even short phrases, and then begin to
improvise with intonations.
Dynamic volume with a flat tone.
•The pitch is equal to the base pitch. The
volume changes with the sliding of the finger
on the slider.
The settings options are:
•Switching the Start/Stop source. The sound
can be started and stopped by touching the

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touch panel or by pressing the Top Cap
against your sweet spot.
•Changing the base pitch of the device. This is
the pitch in the middle of the pitch range
while in the Linear mode and the starting
pitch while in the Standard intonation mode.
•Reverting to the factory default values.
Check our website for video tutorials.
https://labextrade.com/inspiration/

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SETTINGS
The procedure for selecting the mode of operation
is veiled to simplify the everyday use of the
electrolarynx. It is expected these selections and
adjustments to be performed rarely or only at the
beginning of usage. A speech therapist can set
them according to the user's preferences.
Anyway, it is a simple procedure that can be done
unlimited times. In addition, the device can always
be reset to the base settings –the state it came
from the factory.
List of all 8 modes of operation.
#1 Standard intonation mode: Regardless of
where you touch the slider, the sound will
start at the same Base Pitch. Sliding your
finger up and down will raise or lower the
pitch, respectively.
#2 Linear intonation mode: Тhe pitch of the
sound depends on the position of the finger
at which you touch the slider. You can slide

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your finger up and down to change the pitch
higher and lower, respectively. Touching
close to the top will give a higher start pitch,
touching close to the bottom will lower the
initial pitch.
#3 Volume mode: Sliding the finger up and
down on the slider changes the volume up
and down, respectively. The pitch remаins
unchanged and flat, equal to the base pitch.
#4 East Asian modulation: The slider is
separated into five distinct zones with flat
tones and quick transitions in between. This
mode is specifically designed for East Asian
languages.
#5 Musical notes mode: The slider is divided into
8 zones and each presents one note from the
D Major range.
#6 Automatic START/STOP source switch:
Choosing this mode will switch the source for
the automatic START/STOP function. Entering
this mode will exchange the control point

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between the slider and the top of the
working cap. When the Top Cap is enabled,
the device will start producing sound
automatically as soon as you press the Top
Cap to your neck. To go back to starting the
sound from the Touch Slider, select the mode
one more time.
#7 Factory reset:
Choosing this option will reset the device to
its factory settings.
#8 Base Pitch Select:
From this option, you can choose the Base
Pitch you prefer as the starting pitch in the
Standard Intonation mode and the pitch of
the middle of the slider in the Linear
Intonation mode.
When this option is selected, the device will
start emitting sound on its own. Slide your
finger up and down the slider to change the
pitch. When you reach the desired pitch,
press the Settings Button to confirm it.

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NOTE: You can switch the source for the automatic
START/STOP function, regardless of which
intonation variation is currently active.
How to enter and switch between
the modes.
As explained above, the Labex Inspiration has
several working modes. Here is the procedure to
select different modes of operation.
1) The unit must be in an off state. If it is on, turn
the device off using the ON/OFF switch.
2) Press the Settings Button and hold it pressed.
3) While holding the Settings Button, turn the
device on using the
ON/OFF Switch (and keep the Settings Button
pressed). Watch the 8 segments LED Bar Indicator.
The LED at the bottom of the slider blinks and the
first bar of the LED indicator will light up.
4) If you keep holding the Settings Button after 3
seconds, the second bar of the LED will light up in
addition to the first one. After another 3 seconds

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the third bar on the LED indicator will light up too,
and so on up to the eight LED of the bar.
5) Releasing the Settings Button will enter the
mode number, equal to the count of the LEDs that
are on at the moment of releasing the Settings
Button. (Check up the list in the previous point). A
short and quiet sound will be emitted.
EXAMPLE: If you want to choose option #3 - Turn
off the device. - Hold the Settings Button. - Turn
on the device while holding the Settings Button. -
The first LED Bar will light up. Continue to hold the
Settings Button until the first 3 LEDs light up and
release the Settings Button.

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BATTERY
Check the battery level
While the device is turned ON, press and hold the
Settings Button for about 2 seconds. The LED
indicator on the slider will fill up corresponding to
the battery charge level. Just like on your mobile
phone. If all 8 LED lights are on, then the battery is
fully charged, if less than 2 are on, the battery is
about to run out and has to be recharged soon. A
red light at the bottom of the slider will turn on
when it’s time to charge your device.
NOTE: When the battery capacity is lower than
the first LED, the device will stop emitting sound,
and a Red LED will light up every time you activate
the Touch Slider or the Top Cap. At that point, you
have to charge the device.
NOTE: If you find that the battery in your device can
not hold a charge for more than one hour of use,
then the integrated battery may be near the end of

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its life cycle. If this happens, during or outside the
included warranty period, please contact your local
distributor or Labex Trade Ltd. at
https://labextrade.com/contact-us or
[email protected].
Charging the battery
To charge the device plug the provided USB cable
in the USB Port at the bottom of the device. Plug
the other end of the provided USB cable into the
provided USB charger and plug the charger into a
wall socket. The Green and Red LEDs at the bottom
of the device should light up. When your device
becomes fully charged the Red LED turns off.
NOTE: If the bottom RED LED is flashing - the device
has entered a battery protection mode. It can be
triggered by one of the following situations:
•The battery temperature may be over 45°C
and the charging process is temporarily
stopped, while the battery cools below 45°C.
This protects the battery. If the device is