Patent ID: 8443796

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 mouthpiece having a large end adapted to fit onto the open end portion of the housing, tapering to a small end portion sized to be inserted into a patient's airways, the mouthpiece forming another part of the acoustic coupling chamber, wherein the mouthpiece includes a valve operable to permit a patient breathing through the mouthpiece to inhale through a valve opening and exhale through a bypass passage around the valve while coupling the acoustic coupling chamber into the patient's mouth; 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, wherein one of the annular flange or the mouthpiece has an internal annular element spaced from the open end and the disposable diaphragm rim has a complementary shaped element engaging the annular element.