High frequency chest wall oscillation system

1. A high frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) therapy system, the HFCWO system comprising:

an inflatable garment to be worn by a person;

an air pulse generator operable to produce oscillating pressure pulses that are communicated to the inflatable garment, the air pulse generator having a housing, a first diaphragm plate and a second diaphragm plate supported in the housing and moved reciprocally back and forth to produce the oscillating pressure pulses, wherein the first and second diaphragms plates each have a substantially circular outer periphery, wherein the air pulse generator further comprises an air chamber shell having first and second substantially circular openings at opposite ends thereof and first and second flexible diaphragm seals that extend between the substantially circular outer peripheries of the respective first and second diaphragm plates and the respective substantially circular first and second openings provided in the housing, the first and second diaphragm seals having an arched shape spanning between the substantially circular outer peripheries of the respective first and second diaphragm plates and the respective substantially circular first and second openings provided in the housing such that the first and second diaphragm seals bulge away from an air space defined by the air chamber shell; and

at least one hose to interconnect the air pulse generator with the inflatable garment, the hose communicating the oscillatory pressure pulses from the air pulse generator to the inflatable garment, wherein the air pulse generator is sized, shaped, and configured so as to occupy a volume no greater than about 1,200 in. 3 and to weigh no more than about 17 lbs.

2. The HFCWO system of claim 1 , wherein the air pulse generator has a width dimension, a height dimension, and a depth dimension defined by an outer surface of the housing.

3. The HFCWO system of claim 2 , wherein the width dimension is about 13.5 inches, the height dimension is about 9.2 inches, and the depth dimension is about 9.2 inches.

4. The HFCWO system of claim 2 , wherein the height dimension and the depth dimension are substantially equal.

5. The HFCWO system of claim 2 , wherein the air pulse generator has a foot print of about 125 in. 2 .

6. The HFCWO system of claim 1 , wherein the air pulse generator further comprises a blower situated inside the housing.

7. The HFCWO system of claim 6 , wherein the blower communicates pneumatically with a space located between the first and second diaphragms.

8. The HFCWO system of claim 6 , wherein the blower is located between a sidewall of the housing and one of the first and second diaphragms.

9. The HFCWO system of claim 1 , wherein the air pulse generator further comprises a control board located inside the housing near one of the first and second diaphragms so as to be cooled by moving air.

10. The HFCWO system of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface mounted to a front wall of the housing.

11. The HFCWO system of claim 10 , wherein the user interface comprises a display panel, a first set of buttons located above the display panel, and a second set of buttons located below the display panel.

12. The HFCWO system of claim 1 , wherein the housing has a switch port and further comprising a control switch that is coupleable to the switch port, the control switch including a control bulb that is compressed to turn the air pulse generator on and off.

13. The HFCWO system of claim 1 , further comprising a control system carried by the housing, the control system being configured to control operation of the air plus generator so that an oscillating pressure and an oscillation frequency of the oscillatory pressure pulses automatically change over time during the operation of the air pulse generator according to at least one of a plurality of software-supported operating modes.

14. The HFCWO system of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the plurality of software-supported operating modes comprises a step run mode in which the oscillation frequency steps over a range of frequencies while maintaining a substantially constant steady state pressure.

15. The HFCWO system of claim 14 , wherein, in a high step range, the oscillation frequency is stepped through the following frequencies: 10 Hertz, 13 Hertz, 16 Hertz and 19 Hertz, wherein, in a normal step range, the oscillation frequency is stepped through the following frequencies: 8 Hertz, 11 Hertz, 14 Hertz and 17 Hertz, and wherein, in a low step range, the oscillation frequency is stepped through the following frequencies: 5 Hertz, 8 Hertz, 11 Hertz and 14 Hertz.

16. The HFCWO system of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the plurality of software-supported operating modes comprises a sweep run mode.

17. The HFCWO system of claim 16 , wherein, in a high sweep range, the oscillation frequency is swept between about 10 Hertz to about 20 Hertz, wherein, in a normal sweep range, the oscillation frequency is swept between about 7 Hertz to about 17 Hertz, and wherein, in a low sweep range, the oscillation frequency is swept between about 5 Hertz to about 15 Hertz.

18. The HFCWO system of claim 1 , wherein the oscillating pressure pulses produced by the air pulse generator comprise a composite pressure having a steady state pressure component and an oscillating pressure component, and the steady state pressure is greater than atmospheric pressure so that the composite pressure is above atmospheric pressure during operation of the air pulse generator.

19. The HFCWO system of claim 18 , wherein the oscillating pressure component has at least one frequency between about 5 Hertz and about 25 Hertz.

20. A high frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) therapy system, the HFCWO system comprising:

an inflatable garment to be worn by a person;

an air pulse generator operable to produce oscillating pressure pulses that are communicated to the inflatable garment, the air pulse generator having a housing, a first diaphragm and a second diaphragm supported in the housing and moved reciprocally back and forth to produce the oscillating pressure pulses; and

at least one hose to interconnect the air pulse generator with the inflatable garment, the hose communicating the oscillatory pressure pulses from the air pulse generator to the inflatable garment, wherein the air pulse generator is sized, shaped, and configured so as to occupy a volume no greater than about 1,200 in. 3 and to weigh no more than about 17 lbs;

wherein the housing has a switch port and further comprising a control switch that is coupleable to the switch port, the control switch including a control bulb that is compressed to turn the air pulse generator on and off;

wherein the control switch further includes a connection plug that mates with the control port and a tube that interconnects the control bulb with the connection plug.