Which Mucus-Clearing device works best? new study aims to find out
NCT ID NCT05873504
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study compares two handheld breathing devices (Aerobika and VibraPEP) that use vibrations to help people with lung problems cough up mucus. Researchers will enroll 64 adults who have trouble clearing airway secretions. The goal is to see which device works better at improving mucus clearance and other breathing outcomes.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- vibratory positive expiratory pressure device
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could help identify which device works better for clearing mucus from the lungs, potentially improving breathing and reducing complications.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study with only 64 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The devices are already in use, so no major new risks are expected, but individual responses may vary.
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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About 64 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2023
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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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18 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: * Adults 18 years or older * Respiratory assess and treat (RAAT) score of at least 10 and a secretion score of at least 5 Exclusion Criteria: * Younger than 18 years of age * Pregnant * Slow vital capacity (SVC) of \<10 mL/kg * Unable to follow instructions * Currently receiving cough assist, vest therapy or intrapulmonary percussive ventilation * Received more than 1 therapy session using oscillatory index device * Multiple ICU admission with previous study enrollment
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Rush University Medical Center
RECRUITINGChicago, Illinois, 60612, United States
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