Three-dimensional measurement of the vocal tract by MRI

Recent studies have shown that MRI techniques are reliable at measuring mid-sagittal cuts of the vocal tract. Three dimensional images of the vocal tract have been proposed e.g. by A.V. Foldvick et al. (1991; 1995) but despite this advance, these images do not offer any accurate measurement of sagittal cuts or area functions. Advance in MRI performances allows us to collect data much faster and with a better accuracy. We propose to use this new technology to make measurements of sagital, coronal, coronal oblique and transversal cuts. The data collected allow accurate measurement of area at different points along the vocal tract. The different cuts obtained by this method are then used to make measurements of the vocal tract shape. The study focuses on French oral vowels.