Episode 12 of the CF Wind Sprint series demonstrates using the FLUTTER® device for airway clearance.
The FLUTTER® mucus clearance device is shaped like a pipe with a hardened plastic mouthpiece at one end, a plastic protective, perforated cover at the other end, and a high-density stainless steel ball resting in a plastic circular cone on the inside.
The principle of the FLUTTER® as a mucus clearance device is based on its ability to: (1) vibrate the airways (which loosens mucus from the airway walls); (2) intermittently increase endobronchial pressure (which helps maintain the patency of the airways during exhalation so that mucus does not become trapped as it moves up the airways); and (3) accelerate expiratory airflow (which facilitates the upward movement of mucus through the airways so that it can be more easily cleared).
For more information, visit the Axcan Pharma web site.