It is principally used in the treatment of cystic fibrosis, but is gaining use in the treatment of other diseases, such as bronchiectasis, COPD, cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, in which excessive mucus can block airways due to excessive production or impaired clearance.
It uses a compressor to inflate and deflate the vest rhythmically at timed intervals and thus imposes high frequency chest wall oscillations (HFCWO) that are transferred to the lungs.
These oscillations thin thixotropic airway mucus, facilitating its removal by coughing.
The Vest system was developed by Warren Warwick, a pediatrician and cystic fibrosis expert, and Leland Hansen MPH, a senior scientist at the University of Minnesota, which licensed the product to American Biosystems in 1988.
[1][2][3] It is the original High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation Device by Advanced Respiratory, Inc (ARI), formerly American Biosystems, Inc., in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States of America.