For kids with cystic fibrosis (CF), airway clearance therapy is the worst part of their day.

SICK BEATS is the world’s first music-powered airway clearance vest, using the clinically proven modality of soundwave therapy in an awesome music-powered treatment experience.

The SICK BEATS vest syncs with a smartphone to pull therapeutic 40Hz frequencies from music and send them to the chest. The SICK BEATS experience uses a curated Spotify library of thousands of 40Hz songs. The SICK BEATS profile on Spotify organizes songs into easy-to-access playlists, where kids can discover new music and build their own custom treatment playlists. On SickBeatsVest.com, we utilize the Spotify API to provide a playlist generator, powered by multiple inputs such as mood, musical taste, and treatment length.

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There are 30,000 people living in the US with CF—a chronic, life-long, and life-shortening disease, involving the buildup of heavy mucus within the lungs. A primary goal of treatment is to keep the airways clear to avoid serious infection. The current approach to airway clearance is bulky vests that pound the chest until the mucus is loosened and coughed out. These vests are bulky, loud, uncomfortable, and expensive ($10K+).

It has been clinically proven that 40Hz soundwaves are as effective as traditional vests (see also Supporting materials). The 40Hz soundwave matches the harmonic resonance of mucus, liquifying hard mucus so it can migrate to larger airways and be coughed out. We needed to apply this proven science to an experience that kids would not only endure but would look forward to.

The SICK BEATS vest literally uses music to power a life-saving treatment for kids with CF. When we interviewed kids with CF, they said their vest treatment was the worst part of their day. They felt stuck, tethered to a machine that was loud and uncomfortable. It was isolating and boredom-inducing, making them less likely to do this necessary treatment.

By using the clinically-proven modality of soundwave therapy to curate thousands of popular songs that kids WANTED to listen to, we were able to transform the entire experience. Kids were no longer saddled with a bulky vest. They could pick the songs they liked the most and ENJOY their treatment, thereby potentially improving clinical outcomes.