Device and method for assisting a cough

A method of assisting a cough with an assistance system comprising a valve that operates in one of a closed state and an open state, a velocity sensor, a pressure sensor, an oscillator, and a processor, the method comprising:

• detecting by the velocity sensor, a velocity of inhalation airflow in a lung system;
• detecting by the pressure sensor, an internal air pressure in the lung system;
• determining by the processor, whether an inhalation of the lung system is complete based on the detected velocity of inhalation airflow;
• controlling, in response to the inhalation of the lung system being complete, the valve to operate in the closed state, the valve substantially preventing airflow between the lung system and the external environment in the closed state;
• determining by the processor, whether the detected internal air pressure in the lung system is larger than a pre-defined pressure threshold;
• generating by the oscillator, in response to the internal air pressure being greater than the pre-defined pressure threshold, an oscillation pressure to oscillate the lung system and cause a periodic oscillation airflow in the lung system, the periodic oscillation airflow comprising an oscillation exhalation airflow and an oscillation inhalation airflow;
• controlling the valve to operate in the open state based on detecting a start of the oscillation exhalation airflow;
• and
• controlling by the processor, the oscillation exhalation airflow to be synchronous with an exhalation of the cough.

A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of assisting cough, the method comprising:

• detecting by a velocity sensor, a velocity of inhalation airflow in a lung system;
• detecting by a pressure sensor, an internal air pressure in the lung system;
• determining by a processor, whether an inhalation of the lung system is complete based on the detected velocity of inhalation airflow;
• controlling by the processor, in response to the inhalation of the lung system being complete, the valve to operate in the closed state, the valve substantially preventing airflow between the lung system and the external environment in the closed state;
• determining by the processor, whether the detected internal air pressure in the lung system is larger than a pre-defined pressure threshold;
• generating by an oscillator, in response to the internal air pressure being greater than the pre-defined pressure threshold, an oscillation pressure to oscillate the lung system and cause a periodic oscillation airflow in the lung system, the periodic oscillation airflow comprising an oscillation exhalation airflow and an oscillation inhalation airflow;
• controlling the valve to operate in the open state based on detecting a start of the oscillation exhalation airflow;
• and
• controlling by the processor, the oscillation exhalation airflow to be synchronous with an exhalation of the cough.