Airway clearance tech improves patient lifestyles

28th April 2017

Enaie Azambuja

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Hill-Rom Holdings has announced the introduction of the Monarch Airway Clearance System. Building on decades of leadership with The Vest Airway Clearance System, the Monarch system represents Hill-Rom's debut in mobile therapy and the next chapter in the company's patient-centered respiratory care solutions.

The Monarch system is a mobile device that provides high frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) therapy in a mobile vest with a customisable, personalised fit. With its sporty design and stylish shells, the Monarch system uses Personal Oscillating Discs (PODs) that provide targeted kinetic energy and HFCWO to the lungs to thin mucus and generate airflow, moving mucus up and out of the lungs. The Monarch system allows a patient to be active and productive while receiving therapy.

"We know that consistent respiratory therapy improves lung function," said Alton Shader, president, Front Line Care at Hill-Rom. "The Monarch system gives patients more control to fit therapy into their lives and to actively stay on track to meet their therapy goals."

Up until now, HFCWO therapy was primarily delivered by a vest connected to a generator with the patient seated in a chair. Hill-Rom's revolutionary POD technology delivers similar therapy, while allowing patients to move freely.

"I wanted to create a portable, long-lasting battery-powered device that clears the lungs so patients are free to be outside, go camping, live a fuller, higher quality of life," said Marten DeVlieger, inventor and cystic fibrosis patient who collaborated with Hill-Rom to design the Monarch system. "It is exciting to see my vision for mobile therapy come true."

The Monarch system also incorporates LTE or WiFi technology to keep patients wirelessly connected to their care team using Hill-Rom's VisiView Health Portal. The VisiView Health Portal is Hill-Rom's first digital health product designed to enhance communication between health care teams and patients.

Launched in April 2016, VisiView portal is a secure, cloud-based system that automatically receives information from respiratory care devices in a patient's home. Patients and health care teams share a user-friendly dashboard to view therapy data and trends for enhanced teamwork.

Supported by Hill-Rom's industry-leading, patient- and clinician-focused customer service team, the Monarch system represents Hill-Rom's newest innovation in allowing health care teams and patients to share usage data, while helping to manage patients' illnesses and improve their quality of life.