Dymedso - Achievement in Science or Technology

Company: Dymedso, Inc, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Company Division/Group: Dymedso
Company Description: Dymedso is a pioneer in using sound (acoustics) to treat patients with lung disorders and diseases. Its airway clearance device, the Frequencer®, was invented by Louis Plante, a cystic fibrosis (CF) patient. Dymedso is ISO 13485 certified and holds the CE mark in Europe. The Frequencer®, is approved by Health Canada and the U.S. FDA and is used by leading hospitals in over 53 countries.
Nomination Category: Achievement Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Achievement in Science or Technology

Nomination Title: Dymedso's 2020 Achievement in Science and Technology

Dymedso is a pioneer of the airway clearance device industry for treatment of patients with pulmonary disorders. The Company was founded with the purpose of improving the quality and care of those struggling to breathe due to mucus filled lungs from conditions like cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and acute respiratory distress-related (ARDS) infections. Our company brings a new modality in health physics to treating these conditions.

The Frequencer®, provides gentle, non-invasive airway clearance treatment via proprietary acoustic sound waves that match the resonance frequency of the lung’s mucus. These sound waves cause the lungs to vibrate, changing the viscosity of the mucus, dislodging it, unblocking the airways, allowing the patient to breathe easier and improving the patient’s ability to fight the infection.

It is the only device of its kind that provides localized, targeted treatment to focus therapy exactly where it is needed. It’s approved for use by Health Canada, the US Food and Drug Administration, and the European Union. With over 750 devices sold in over 50 countries, the unique, patented device has been demonstrated to be essential for treating the symptoms of pneumonia and ARDS, which are also complications found in severe cases of COVID-19 patients.

The Company is committed to improving patient care while helping to save lives. That now extends to treating COVID-19 symptoms, including superimposed pneumonia and ARDS, and long-term complications requiring lung rehabilitation.

COVID-19 is often associated with a dry cough. But 30% of those affected have a mucus cough, called a “wet” or “productive” cough, and may lead to pneumonia and ARDS. For over a decade, Dymedso has provided the medical technology that delivers targeted treatment for lung conditions impacted by mucus in adult, pediatric and neonatal patients.

In December 2020, the Quebec government sponsored the distribution of 24 Frequencer® devices to twelve healthcare institutions to assist in the treatment of COVID-19 and its long-term complications.

Clinical studies are underway for use of the Frequencer® in patients admitted to the hospital for treatment of COVID-19 at the CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Canada. This cross-over randomized trial will compare the effectiveness of the Frequencer® vs. chest physiotherapy for mobilizing secretions in ICU patients with respiratory distress linked to COVID-19.

Another economic study is evaluating the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the Frequencer® as an add-on to the standard care in hospitalized COVID-19 patients and others. The hypothesis is to demonstrate a reduction in hospitalization stay, ICU admission and ventilator use, reduce the burden of care and risk of contamination of caregivers, and improve patient/caregiver satisfaction. Interim results show that the Frequencer® could reduce admission to intensive care, reduce length of hospital stays and save caregiver time. Results are in line with the study’s hypothesis.

The Frequencer® is used by renowned hospitals in the US and Canada in the neonatal, pediatric and adult intensive care units to treat critical patients. It is often the only airway clearance technology usable in these compromised patients. Competitor devices are either more invasive or inappropriate for the patient and would put the patient at greater risk of complications.

It is safely and successfully used on mechanically ventilated patients, which is why it is beneficial in COVID-19 treatment settings. In these settings, the patient could receive the treatment in a resting position by placing the device against the chest, without interfering with any probes, monitors and leads that are present on the patient. It can also be used in conjunction with “proning”, a technique used by care teams to assist patients in acute respiratory distress by turning a patient from their back onto their abdomen. In both of these positions, the device is safe to use on the patient and helps to mobilize mucus through the airways, ultimately removing it from the lungs through the ventilator. Competitor devices, such as high frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO), often referred to as the VEST, cannot be used on ventilated patients, as it interferes with the ventilation treatment and puts the patient at even greater risk while moving the patient to fit the device.

Because the Frequencer® is safe to use on mechanically ventilated patients, it has been used by hospitals in Canada, Germany, France, Switzerland and Kuwait to treat COVID-19 patients.

We have included for your review our news release regarding the distribution of the 24 Frequencer® devices to the 12 healthcare institutions in Canada for the treatment of COVID-19. We have also included our brochure and an animated video (~2.5 minutes) which further explains how the technology works. We have also included a brochure showing how easy it is to use the device on a mechanically ventilated patient. A video was added of 2 experts explaining how the device can be used to treat COVID-19 patients (~12 minutes). And finally we have included a synopsis describing some of the cases of how the device is actively treating ventilated patients in the ICU with COVID-19.

Thank you for your consideration of the Dymedso Frequencer® for the Achievement in Science & Technology Award. It would be our honor to be recognized for our efforts in providing healthcare workers with the equipment that they need to effectively treat patients and deliver better patient care for COVID-19 and other critical lung conditions.