Airway Clearance Vest Improves Respiratory Function

A novel chest wall-oscillation vest benefits chronic lung disease patients by dramatically improving cough productivity and ease of breathing.

The AffloVest is a portable High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation (HFCWO) device intended for patients with chronic lung conditions such as severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis (CF), and other related ailments. The lightweight device, which weighs approximately 4 kg, provides adjustable levels of treatment intensity and multiple treatment modes. Doctors and patients can tailor treatments to their needs, with nine possible settings that provide chest wall-oscillation treatment on both the front and back of the vest.


To use the device, the patient slips the vest on, buckles three clips, and tightens the straps to ensure a secure fit. Then, depending on individual treatment needs, the patient chooses the setting using a handheld control attached to the right side of the vest. A battery pack provides power for mobile treatments, but the device also includes an AC adapter which allows it to be run indefinitely from a power outlet should longer treatment periods be required. The AffloVest is a made by International Biophysics Corporation (IBC; Austin, TX, USA), and is available in five sizes (XS, S, M, L, and XL) for both children and adults with chronic lung conditions.

“Other airway clearance vests tether the patient by an air hose to bulky machines that must be plugged into a wall,” said David Shockley, president of IBC. “The AffloVest is the market’s first portable, battery-operated HFCWO vest. Users can move about freely—even travel—during treatments, or sit comfortably in any position, even while lying down.”

“With every single patient, a dramatic improvement in cough productivity and bronchial secretion viscosity was observed, in combination with the pulmonary and orthopedic regimen of care,” said Konrad Schultz, MD, of the Bad Reichenhall Clinic (Munich, Germany). “It became fundamentally easier for the patients to cough out mucus, because of the more fluid secretions and more productive cough provided by the introduction of High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation treatment with the AffloVest.”

HFCWO assist devices generate either positive or negative trans-respiratory pressure excursions to produce high frequency, small-volume oscillations in the airways. The oscillations can lead to changes in volume of 15–57 mL and in flow up to 1.6 L/s, which generate minimal coughing to mobilize secretions. Typical treatment last 20–30 minutes, and consists of short periods of compression at different frequencies, separated by coughing.

Related Links:
International Biophysics Corporation
Bad Reichenhall Clinic