Trial Testing Personalized Chest Physiotherapy System for Mucus Clearance
A clinical trial underway in Israel is investigating how well a personalized chest physiotherapy system compares with traditional airway clearance techniques in people with cystic fibrosis (CF) and other chronic lung conditions, a company reports.
“This trial brings us one step closer to our goal: improving the lives of millions of chronic lung disease patients who deserve better airway clearance solutions,” Anat Shani, CEO of Synchrony Medical, which developed the new system, said in a press release.
In many chronic lung conditions, including CF and bronchiectasis, excessive mucus in the lungs make breathing difficult. Chest physiotherapy is essential to clear mucus buildup.
“Effective airway clearance on a daily basis at home is the key to keeping chronic lung patients stable and breaking the vicious cycle of clinical deteriorations,” said Moshe Ashkenazi, MD, a pediatric pulmonologist. Ashkenazi is also the deputy director of Safra Children’s Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, and a co-founder of Synchrony Medical, which specializes in healthcare devices.
The company’s system is based on a chest physiotherapy method developed at the National Cystic Fibrosis Center of Israel at the Sheba center. To clear mucus it is reported to use a personalized treatment algorithm, or a set of instructions, that coordinate chest compressions and positive airway pressure with a person’s breathing. Synchrony also reports that its system can sense and adapt to a patient’s needs, and be used at the home without assistance.
The clinical trial, which is being conducted at the National Cystic Fibrosis Center of Israel, is evaluating the system’s effectiveness.
“Our system will enable patients to receive state-of-the-art chest physiotherapy independently, in the comfort of their own home,” Shani said. “By making this effective therapy accessible, Synchrony Medical will bring to patient’s years of experience from Sheba’s respiratory experts and may help minimize pulmonary exacerbations and costly hospitalization associated with chronic lung diseases.”
Synchrony Medical is a portfolio company of Medx Xelerator. This medical device incubator was formed as an initiative of Medx Ventures Group along with Boston Scientific, Intellectual Ventures, and Sheba Medical Center. Medx Xelerator is sponsored by the Israel Innovation Authority.
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