The Lung Flute November 29, 2009

I’ve recently come across quite an interesting medical innovation on BoingBoing. It could help millions of people suffering from COPD, flu, cystic fibrosis or asthma.

The Lung Flute is a simple device that uses sound waves to vibrate wads of mucus in your chest cavity until they rip apart and become more easily cough-up-able. (For better or for worse, the ultimate “results” of using the Flute are not shown in the above video.) Handy, certainly. But why, you may be wondering, would such a thing end up on Popular Science’s list of The Best Innovations of 2009? Easy. It’s because you and your common cold are not the primary audience for a Lung Flute concerto.