RespirTech Introduces Personalization Options For Airway Clearance Therapy

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--RespirTech, the nation’s fastest growing provider of Airway Clearance Therapy (ACT) vests, is launching new vest patterns and custom decorative decals intended to enhance and personalize the therapy experience for patients with chronic lung conditions such as cystic fibrosis (CF) and COPD/bronchiectasis.

“Patients with respiratory disease count on our inCourage® System to help clear their obstructed airways for better health and quality of life”

“Patients with respiratory disease count on our inCourage^® System to help clear their obstructed airways for better health and quality of life,” says Bob Buehler, RespirTech Chief Commercial Officer. “We know vest therapy helps with airway clearance if patients adhere to their prescribed regimen. If personalized vests and units can encourage therapy, that’s a win for patients, their caregivers and the health care system.” Patients who adhere to therapy may experience fewer respiratory infections¹ and a reduced need for antibiotics.²

RespirTech’s inCourage System uses high-frequency chest compression (HFCC) to help loosen, thin and mobilize mucus throughout the lungs and airways. The system is comprised of an inflatable vest attached to a compressor unit, which delivers air pulses that “thump” the chest and loosen and clear mucus.

New vest designs and fun decals for use with inCourage System units allow patients to show their unique style and give them another way to personalize their therapy. “Anything that helps kids feel more empowered and engaged in their therapy may lead to greater adherence, which is key to improving health status,” says Buehler. More than half of the 30,000 CF patients in the U.S. are children³ and nearly 90 percent of them, ages 6-17, use HFCC.⁴

Last year, the company introduced three popular vest designs—Flower Power, Star Galaxy and Wild Camo. The company is expanding its vest collection with three more lively designs: Pixel Puzzle, Northern Lights and Passion Pink Camo.

RespirTech is also introducing custom decal sets for the unit that coordinate with the vest designs. Among the newly available themes are vibrant, colorful flowers, planets and stars, emoticons and sports images.

About RespirTech
RespirTech is the developer, manufacturer and distributor of the inCourage^® System, which is designed for simple, effective airway clearance therapy (ACT) for a wide range of chronic lung conditions including cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and bronchiectasis, an often under-diagnosed condition⁵ affecting an estimated 475,000 people in the U.S.⁶ RespirTech is the only ACT vest company to use “triangle wave” air pulses, demonstrated to improve airway secretion clearance by as much as 20 percent over “sine wave” vest therapy systems.⁷ For more information on the inCourage System vest designs or decals, call Customer Care at 800-793-1261 or visit www.respirtech.com.

1. Giarraffa P, Berger KI, Chaikin AA, Axelrod FB, Davey C, Becker B. Assessing efficacy of high-frequency chest wall oscillation in patients with familial dysautonomia. CHEST 2005;128:3377-3381.

2. Overgaard PM, Radford PJ. High-frequency chest wall oscillation improves outcomes in children with cerebral palsy. CHEST 2005;128 (4):354S.

3. http://www.cff.org/aboutcf/

4. http://www.cff.org/UploadedFiles/research/ClinicalResearch/PatientRegistryReport/2012-CFF-Patient-Registry.pdf (page 22).

5. McDonnell MJ, Ward C, Lordan JL, Rutherford RM. Non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis. Q J Med 2013;106:709-715.

6. RespirTech market information on file.

7. Milla CE, Hansen LF, Weber A, Warwick WJ, High-Frequency chest compression: effect of the third generation compression waveform, Biomed Instrum Technol. 2004;38:322-328.