Cough Assist Machine

What is a cough assisted machine?

A cough assist machine (also called a mechanical insufflator-exsufflator) is a medical device that helps people who have difficulty coughing effectively. It works by gradually delivering positive air pressure into the lungs, followed by a quick switch to negative pressure. This action simulates a natural cough, helping to clear mucus and secretions from the airways. It is commonly used in patients with neuromuscular diseases, spinal cord injuries, or any other conditions that weaken the respiratory muscles to prevent infections and ensure a clear airway..

Key features of cough assist machine

Here are some of the main characteristics of a Cough Assist Machine:

Positive and Negative Pressure Settings:

A device provides both positive and negative pressure settings. Positive pressure inflates the lungs, whereas negative pressure allows for the expulsion of mucus from the lungs; this is an action that simulates a natural cough.

Variable Pressure Levels:

The pressure levels can be varied according to the requirement of an individual. This is thus adjustable for the patient depending on his lung capacity and condition to effectively remove the mucus.

Adjustable Inhalation and Exhalation Times:

The device is also user-tunable to adjust the time for drawing in and exhaling, hence increasing the comfort of the treatment.

Portability:

Majority of cough assistance machines are light and portable. Thus, they can be used at home, in the hospitals, or while traveling.

Easy to Use:

An intuitive interface makes it easy to use the machine even by a layman. They normally come with digital indicators, buttons, and controls with user explanation.

Battery Backup

Many machines come with battery backup. This helps continue its utility even in cases of a power cut or when the patient is moving.

Cough assist machine price in India

The price of a cough assist machine in India typically ranges between ₹2, 00,000 to ₹6, 00,000, depending on the brand, features, and specifications offered.

Cough assist machine, popular brand in India

Philips:

Philips offers cough assist machines that have been designed with technology to effectively clear the airways. Their insufflator exsufflator is portable and comes with setups that can be adjusted, as well as cough assist masks, all for comfort.

Breas:

Breas offers a mechanical model with pressure that can be adjustable and is easy to transport. They are very portable and can be adapted both for hospital use and home use. Such portable models will really work great for cough assistance in adults.

Baxter:

Baxter's assisted cough device has a reputation for being reliable and extremely easy to use. Its mechanical assisted cough devices have variable pressure control and come with masks designed for assisted cough to ensure mucus can safely be cleared from the airways.

How Does a Cough Assist Machine Work?

While coughing is the ideal way to clear your lungs, not everyone has a strong enough cough to do so. This can be due to various diseases or injuries, which we’ll discuss later, but a weak cough calls for some assistance. That’s where a cough assist machine comes into play—it mimics a strong cough, allowing you to fully clear your lungs and prevent infection. Here’s how it works:

• Set up your cough assist machine and put on the cough assist mask or mouthpiece.
• Breathe in, and the machine will slowly blow air into your lungs.
• The machine will quickly pull the air back out, mimicking a cough, and taking any mucus along with it. This action is facilitated by the mechanical insufflator-exsufflator device, which effectively clears your airways.
• It’s that simple! Once you set it up and begin, this portable cough assist machine does all the work for you, helping you breathe better.

Whether you're using a cough device at home or a cough machine for adults, these mechanical cough assist devices provide crucial support for those who struggle with effective coughing.

Uses of cough assist machine

A mechanical cough assist is a device, sometimes referred to as a cough assist machine, that is useful in facilitating the evacuation of mucus from the lungs of patients. The common applications of the device include:

• Mucus Clearance: The cough machine finds basic application in the removal of mucus in the airways; given patients have respiratory disease, for example, ALS, or muscular dystrophy.
• Lung Function: Removal of mucus aids in proper lung function and also lessens infections.
• Effective Cough: A Cough machine for adults with weak respiratory muscles aids in providing mechanical force to imitate natural coughing, and thus allows for the clearance of airways.
• Assistance to Patients When Sick: The cough assist mask can aid patients who are unable to effectively cough because of diseases such as pneumonia or bronchitis, among others.
• Post Surgery Recovery Period - The mechanical cough aid apparatus facilitates an effective coughing in patients who have undergone chest or abdominal surgery. Thus, complications post-surgery are not produced.
• Use at Home - Most of the modern insufflator-exsufflators are conceptualized for easy applications at home, thus enabling proper care of a patient's respiratory condition with utmost convenience and success.

How to use of cough assist machine

A cough assist machine is designed to help individuals with weak cough reflexes, particularly those with respiratory conditions. Here is the step-by-step process of how this mechanical cough assist device is to be used for increased effectiveness.

1. Preparation of the Machine:

• Place the coughing device on a firm, flat surface as near to a power outlet as possible.
• Fix the mask for cough assist or appropriate airway interface tightly onto the machine.

2. Prepare Patient:

• The patient must be comfortable and sitting in an appropriate position from which fresh circulating air goes around him or her.
• One must make sure that the portable cough assist machine used is charged or ensures the availability of electricity if possible.

3. Dampening of Parameters

• Set the machine to recommended pressure settings. This will often be between 20-40 cm H2O in machines that entail mechanical insufflator exsufflation.
• Cycle time can then be adjusted based on what the patient requires, typically 2-5 seconds insufflation and 2-5 seconds exsufflation.

4. Utilization of a Cough Assist Device

• Position the mask over the patient's nose and mouth so that there is a good seal to the skin, so air will not leak around the edges.
• Activate the machine. The first cycle will be positive pressure insufflation into the lungs.
• When the amount of time set on the apparatus for insufflation is complete, the machine will automatically go into exsufflation to create the negative pressure to assist in imitating a spontaneous cough.

5. Monitor and Assist

• Note your patient's response. If the patient shows signs of irritation, then adjust the settings or remove the mask.
•  Encourage the patient to cough during the exsufflation phase to enhance airway clearance.

 6. Post-Use Care

• After the session, remove the mask and clean it according to manufacturer instructions.
• Turn off the cough machine for adults and store it properly for future use.

Important of cough assist machine

Cough assist machines are vital for patients with compromised respiratory function. These cough devices enhance airway clearance, preventing infections and improving lung health. The cough assist machine uses positive and negative pressure to mimic natural coughing. For ease of use, the portable cough assist machine allows therapy at home or on the go. Cough assist masks provide effective interfaces, while mechanical cough assist devices cater to adults needing extra support. The mechanical insufflator-exsufflator device effectively clears secretions, promoting better respiratory health.

Benefits of cough assist machine

Improved Clearance of Airways:

Cough assist assists in the removal of mucus inside the airways, providing easier breathing and relief to patients during respiratory distress.

Prevention of Respiratory Complications:

Daily application of the mechanical cough assist minimizes the risk of lung infection and other problems that occur due to the mucus accumulation.

Improved Lung Function:

Good clearance of the mucus by the coughing machine is towards enhanced lung function in patients, which keeps them on a healthy lung pattern.

Reduced Risk of Hospital Readmission

A cough machine for adults ensures diminished chances of hospitalization, offering management control over mucus clearing to avoid respiratory problems.

Improved Comfort and Quality of Life:

A cough assist mask renders a patient comfortable during treatment and enhances his quality of life because of the ease of breathing.

Coughs assist machine patient type:

One of the assisting devices for patients with special respiratory conditions is a cough assist machine. Here are some types of patients who will benefit from this mechanical cough assist device.

Individuals with Neuromuscular Diseases:

The patients who suffer from muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or multiple sclerosis might be losing their respiratory muscles. A cough device can help to enhance their ability to get secretions out.

Post Surgery Patients:

Following thoracic or abdominal surgeries; these patients are usually weak in coughing. A cough assist machine helps in preventing lung infection since they are able to clear the trachea properly.

Patients with Chronic Respiratory Diseases:

Mucus expulsion should be supported from both ends in patients suffering from COPD or asthma. A cough assist machine for adults allows the patient to cough properly.

Patients with Tracheostomies:

Patients who undergo tracheostomies commonly suffer from inadequate coughing due to the altered physiology in the airways. There is potential utility for a mechanical insufflator exsufflator.

Individuals with Weak Cough Reflex:

The patient who cannot cough due to advanced age or the patient whose cough reflex has been blunted by the illness or neurological deficits are obvious candidates for the mask designed for cough assist and the mechanical effect of the ventilator.

Pediatric Patients:

Some other children may be utilizing a portable cough assist machine, for example, with cystic fibrosis where they are challenged by the respiratory.