Patent ID: 8082920

Claim:
An apparatus for assisting a patient in loosening and/or clearing fluids, phlegm and mucus collected in a patient's sinuses, lungs, bronchial and/or tracheal passages comprising: an elongated curved hollow housing having a substantially closed end portion and an open end portion, the open end portion forming at least part of an acoustic coupling chamber; a substantially funnel shaped mouthpiece having a large end adapted to fit onto the open end portion of the housing and a small end portion sized to be inserted into a patient's airways, the mouthpiece forming another part of the acoustic coupling chamber; an acoustic signal generator housed within said hollow housing having an acoustic transducer directing acoustic vibrations into and through the coupling chamber into a patient's airways when the mouthpiece is coupled into the patient's airways; and a flexible disposable diaphragm in the coupling chamber sandwiched between the mouthpiece and the hollow housing, the diaphragm having a resilient plastic annular rim within the housing engaging an annular flange around the open end of the housing when the mouthpiece and housing are joined, the rim forming a first acoustic seal between the coupling chamber and an external environment, wherein the open end portion of the housing has a peripheral annular flange adjacent the open end and wherein a portion of the mouthpiece engages the annular flange to form a second acoustic seal between the coupling chamber and the external environment wherein the mouthpiece has an internal annular ridge spaced from the open end and the disposable diaphragm rim has a complementary shaped groove receiving the ridge.