What is "electrolarynx"

n. A type of mechanical larynx to assist those who have lost their original voicebox to produce clearer speech.

An electrolarynx, sometimes referred to as a "throat back" is a medical device about the size of a small electric razor used to produce clearer speech by those people who have lost their voicebox, usually due to cancer of the larynx. The most common device is a handheld, battery-operated device placed under the mandible which produces vibrations to allow speech. Earlier non-electric devices were called mechanical larynxes. Along with developing esophageal voice, robotic voice or undergoing a surgical procedure, the electrolarynx serves as a mode of speech recovery for laryngectomy patients.