Our Story: Engineering a Voice for Life After Laryngectomy 

UltraVoice was founded with one clear belief: people who have undergone laryngectomy deserve more than “good enough” solutions. They deserve technology that is designed around their real-world needs so they can be heard clearly at home, in public, and with the people who matter most. 

Our technical founder, David Baraff, Ph.D., spent his career at the heart of the technology revolution, working as a leading engineer on advanced computing projects at Bell Laboratories and Commodore International. He was an expert in systems, electronics, and problem solving, but over time he became increasingly drawn to challenges where technology could directly improve quality of life. 

Through collaborations with clinicians and patients, he saw how difficult it was for many laryngectomees to communicate in a way that felt efficient, natural, and sustainable. Existing options often demanded constant hand use, invasive procedures, frequent maintenance, or produced a sound that did not match how people wanted to present themselves to the world. That gap, and the stories of people struggling to be understood, became his reason to focus his skills on this community that deserves more resources and support. 

Working through Thomas Jefferson University’s Technology Transfer Office, Dr. Baraff partnered with a university-based research group to turn a promising lab concept into a device that could be used in everyday life. Together they refined the idea into a commercially viable system that could help restore vocal communication for people living after laryngectomy. 

For over 30 years, UltraVoice has proudly served the laryngectomy community, providing the UltraVoice system and its iterative improvements. Throughout that time, our goal has remained the same: to develop custom-tailored, hands-free solutions that help laryngectomees communicate efficiently, clearly, and as naturally as possible. 

Our Mission: 

We are dedicated to developing voice restoration technology that: 

• Aligns with the real demands of life after laryngectomy 
• Supports communication that feels more natural and less burdensome 
• Minimizes daily maintenance compared with many traditional options 
• Respects that every person’s anatomy and situation are unique

UltraVoice is designed to work with your lips, teeth, and tongue so you can shape words and sentences in a way that feels more familiar. It offers a unique, low maintenance option that can help you achieve functional, everyday communication without constantly relying on your hands. 

A Tailored, Team-Based Approach: 

Every laryngectomee is different, and results will vary based on individual anatomy, surgical history, and personal speaking goals. For that reason, we strongly recommend working with a speech language pathologist (SLP) who understands post-laryngectomy care in order to achieve the best possible performance with UltraVoice.

Our role is to:

• Provide a custom tailored, non-invasive speaking solution 
• Support you and your clinical team with education and resources 
• Continue advancing our technology so the laryngectomy community has better options over time 

We are here to support you and your community with a hands-free solution aimed at restoring vocal communication and helping you participate more fully in conversations, relationships, and everyday life.