Patent ID: 7927293

Claim:
An apparatus for clearing mucus from the pulmonary system of a human, comprised of: means for applying first external stimulations to the thorax of said human, whereby said first stimulations are low-amplitude, high-frequency stimulations adapted to cause vibrations to be transmitted to the pulmonary system comprised of the lungs and trachea of said human; first control means to regulate said first external stimulations, whereby said vibrations transmitted to said pulmonary system are adapted to cause the mobility of mucus attached to said lungs and trachea to be increased; means for applying second different external stimulations to said thorax, whereby said second different stimulations are high-amplitude, low-frequency stimulations adapted to cause compressions of the lower-thoracic region comprised of the abdominal wall and thoracic diaphragm of said human; second control means to regulate said second different external stimulations, whereby said compressions of said lower-thoracic region are adapted to cause induced expiration responses in said pulmonary system, whereby simultaneous increases in the pressure and expulsion rate of air contained within said lungs and trachea occur in use; and a control console activated by the patient or caregiver, whereby desired levels and temporal variations of said first external stimulations and said second different external stimulations are applied to said thorax in use; whereby concurrent application of said first external stimulations and said second different external stimulations to said thorax is adapted to cause movement of said mucus from said lungs and trachea.