Hill-Rom Holdings Inc has introduced the Monarch Airway Clearance System, a mobile device that provides high frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) therapy in a mobile vest with a customizable, personalized fit.
The Monarch system is cleared for use by patients 15 years old and above, according to Hill-Rom’s website.
The device is Hill-Rom’s debut in mobile therapy and uses Pulmonary Oscillating Discs (PODs) that provide targeted kinetic energy and HFCWO to the lungs to thin mucus and generate airflow.
The Monarch system allows a patient to be active and productive while receiving therapy. Up until now, HFCWO therapy was primarily delivered by a vest connected to a generator with the patient seated in a chair. Hill-Rom’s POD technology delivers similar therapy, while allowing patients to move freely.
“I wanted to create a portable, long-lasting battery-powered device that clears the lungs so patients are free to be outside, go camping, live a fuller, higher quality of life,” said Marten DeVlieger, inventor and cystic fibrosis patient who collaborated with Hill-Rom to design the Monarch system. “It is exciting to see my vision for mobile therapy come true.”
According to Hiil-Rom, the Monarch system also incorporates LTE or WiFi technology to keep patients wirelessly connected to their care team using Hill-Rom’s VisiView Health Portal. The VisiView portal is a secure, cloud-based system that automatically receives information from respiratory care devices in a patient’s home.
More information is available on the Hill-Rom website.
This seems pretty interesting. If it is as effective as the other vests (Not Afflo–I don’t consider that a real product), then this could be a nice step forward in therapy.