A handheld device that vibrates the airways may help COPD patients breathe easier

NCT ID NCT06614959

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 24, 2026 ยท Last updated Jul 24, 2026

Summary

This study tests whether a device called oscillatory positive expiratory pressure (OPEP) therapy can reduce cough symptoms and improve lung mechanics in people with COPD. Participants use the device at home twice daily for four weeks. Researchers compare lung function and symptom scores before and after treatment to see if the vibrations help clear mucus and ease breathing.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
a handheld breathing device called oscillatory positive expiratory pressure (OPEP) therapy that creates vibrations in the airways to help clear mucus and improve lung function
What this could lead to
If it works, OPEP therapy could offer a simple, drug-free way to reduce cough burden and improve breathing mechanics for people with COPD.
What could go wrong
This is a small, single-group study with only 32 participants and no placebo control, so results may not be generalizable. The device requires daily use for 4 weeks, and adherence or discomfort could affect outcomes.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

32 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

May 2025

Finished

Jun 2026

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

40 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Males and females 40 years of age or more 2. Former/current smokers with a cigarette smoking history for 10 or more pack-years 3. Physician diagnosis of COPD previously confirmed by spirometry (FEV1/FVC less than 0.7) with 'mild' to 'very severe' (i.e. GOLD 1-4) COPD 4. Chronic bronchitis phenotype: Sputum production or presence of productive cough greater than 2 days/week in the last 3 months for at least 2 consecutive years, or presence of cough and phlegm almost every day or several times per week 5. Ability to participate without supplemental oxygen during all oscillometry testing 6. Ability to provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria: 1. No COPD diagnosis 2. Bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, or any other known suppurative acute/chronic lung disease as the principal respiratory condition 3. Physician-diagnosed exacerbation and/or hospitalization for pulmonary symptoms in the 4 weeks preceding baseline testing 4. Current use of OPEP, or any use of OPEP in the 4 weeks preceding baseline testing 5. Current or recent participation in a standard Pulmonary Rehabilitation program in the 4 weeks preceding baseline testing or during the study

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • McGill University Health Centre

    Montreal, Quebec, H4A 3J1, Canada

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