A handheld device that vibrates the airways may help COPD patients breathe easier
NCT ID NCT06614959
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
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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
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32 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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May 2025
- Finished
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Jun 2026
- Lead sponsor
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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
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40 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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
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McGill University Health Centre
Montreal, Quebec, H4A 3J1, Canada
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