A new device designed to help people suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other mucus producing lung diseases developed by Trudell Medical International has been clinically tested by researchers at Western University and results show it improves breathlessness and the ability to move mucus, as well as betters a patient’s quality of life.
The Aerobika* Oscillating Positive Expiratory Pressure (OPEP) Therapy System is a drug-free, easy to use, hand-held device that aims to help people with lung disease breathe easier.
The OPEP device was tested by Dr. David McCormack and Grace Parraga from Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and their team at Robarts Research Institute.
Initial study results showed that participants using it were able to more easily move mucus up and out of the lungs, which allowed for improved breathing and quality of life.
“We’re really fortunate at Western to have Trudell Medical International, an innovative medical device company focused on lung disease, based in London,” says Parraga. “Trudell has been working tirelessly for years on new treatments for lung disease and at the same time, we’ve been developing, in parallel, new ways to look at lung disease using novel medical imaging methods, developed here at Robarts. It is an outstanding example of university-industry collaboration that we have achieved in London.”
Trudell CEO Mitch Baran says that he and his team agree wholeheartedly with Parraga and believes the synergy created by this collaboration was instrumental in launching this device, which has the ability to assist the world’s estimated 600-million COPD sufferers and others battling phlegm-producing lung diseases.
“Drug treatment is often the preferred method, but may not be completely effective in achieving adequate airway clearance,” says Baran. “Each patient’s COPD, be it chronic bronchitis, emphysema or any other lung disease, is unique and may need a variety of therapies. The innovation built into our Aerobika* OPEP device delivers excellent effectiveness while being very easy to use.”
Baran says the overall goal of the device is to ensure the patient can maintain their treatments to control their symptoms, breathe easier, enjoy a better quality of life and ultimately, stay out of the hospital.
The research team, including PhD candidate Sarah Svenningsen and MSc candidate Gregory Paulin, evaluated the OPEP device using a novel approach that involves inhaled hyperpolarized Helium-3 (a light, non-radioactive isotope of helium) and MRI images before and after OPEP therapy.
Dr. David McCormack, Program Director of Schulich Medicine & Dentistry’s Division of Respirology and a Lawson Research Institute scientist, led the clinical study.
The Aerobika* Oscillating Positive Expiratory Pressure (OPEP) Therapy System has regulatory approval in Canada, USA, Mexico and Europe. Now available in Canada at Pharmacies and Home Care outlets.
For an Aerobika* animation by Trudell, please visit: https://youtu.be/n7X3QP8HJKA
ABOUT WESTERN
Western delivers an academic experience second to none. Since 1878, The Western Experience has combined academic excellence with life-long opportunities for intellectual, social and cultural growth in order to better serve our communities. Our research excellence expands knowledge and drives discovery with real-world application. Western attracts individuals with a broad worldview, seeking to study, influence and lead in the international community.
MEDIA CONTACT: Mark Pickard, Vice President and General Manager, 519-455-7060, ext. 2200, mpickard@trudellmed.com
Website: www.trudellmed.com
Robarts Research Institute
Opened in 1986, Robarts Research Institute at Western University is a non-profit medical research facility in London, Ontario, with more than 600 people working to investigate some of the most debilitating diseases of our time, from heart disease and stroke to diabetes, Alzheimer’s and many forms of cancer.
ABOUT TRUDELL MEDICAL INTERNATIONAL
TMI designs, develops and manufactures a wide range of medical devices, from our flagship AeroChamber* Brand of Valved Holding Chamber (VHC) for asthma patients and our latest state-of-the-art Aerobika* OPEP therapy system for COPD patients, to custom designed products and systems. Our best-in-class respiratory management products are sold in over 100 countries worldwide and their efficacy has been validated in over 500 peer-reviewed articles from various medical journals. TMI is registered to ISO 13485 Standard, specific for medical device manufacturers.
*trademarks and registered trademarks of Trudell Medical International.
Download an Image
Figure 1. Pre- and post-oPEP 3He magnetic resonance images (in blue) registered to the corresponding coronal thoracic 1H magnetic resonance images (in greyscale) for a COPD patient with imaging improvements following oPEP therapy. The improvement in 3He gas distribution after oPEP is readily apparent (yellow arrows).
Figure 2. Pre- and post-oPEP 3He magnetic resonance images (in blue) registered to the corresponding coronal thoracic 1H magnetic resonance images (in greyscale) for a bronchiectasis patient with imaging improvements following oPEP therapy. The improvement in 3He gas distribution after oPEP is readily apparent (yellow arrow).
