People with cystic fibrosis (CF) depend on airway-clearance vests to help keep their lungs clear of thick mucus. The current airway-clearance vest experience is terrible—vests are bulky, uncomfortable, expensive (10,000 USD), and for most outside the US, inaccessible.

Woojer had the technology that could impact these kids’ lives by transforming the

airway-clearance vest experience, if applied in the right way. They were already a successful entertainment company, but to do good, they would need to become a healthcare company.

CF is a genetic, lifelong and life-limiting disease with no cure. 100,00 people worldwide have it. The majority of them are children. CF causes heavy mucus to build up in the lungs, placing people at risk for developing serious infections. Kids with CF have to depend on an

airway-clearance vest to help break up this thick mucus so they can cough it out.

Vests are bulky, uncomfortable, extremely medical looking, and are extremely expensive, over 10,000 USD, which means they are not accessible to the broader population.

Significant research has shown that a 40Hz soundwave is more efficient in liquifying mucus when compared to mechanical force. We applied clinically proven modality to an experience that kids would not only endure but enjoy.

Woojer was founded on the belief in the physical power of sound and music, as seen with their immersive music and gaming experience technology. With the discovery that 40Hz soundwaves can treat CF when applied to the body, and the knowledge that their consumer vest could do just that, a pivot to healthcare not only made sense, but it was also the right thing to do.

The SICK BEATS vest had the potential to outpace other vests across every metric including comfort, efficacy, portability, and enjoyment. Importantly, the SICK BEATS vest would be far more accessible. Current vests are $10,000-$15,000. Woojer has committed to keeping the cost of the SICK BEATS vest comparable to the consumer Vest Edge ($500 USD), so more kids around the world can have access to best-in-class airway clearance

Our medical literature research revealed that 40Hz soundwaves are as clinically effective as traditional vests. The 40Hz soundwave matches the harmonic resonance of mucus, liquifying hard mucus so it can migrate to larger airways and be coughed out.

However, creating a vest that delivers the 40Hz tone wouldn’t be enough to transform the experience. Market research with 20 CF families told us that the entire vest experience needed to be rethought, especially given that airway clearance is crucial for survival. The length of time a child does their treatment is directly proportional to how long they will live. Because the experience is challenging, adherence is a huge problem. Pediatric pulmonologists agree that making airway clearance fun could improve adherence and extend life

We needed to apply this proven science to an experience that kids could not only endure but would enjoy—and we knew music could be the answer.

SICK BEATS by Woojer is the world’s first music-powered airway-clearance vest for cystic fibrosis, using the clinically proven modality of soundwave therapy to merge music kids love with the daily treatment they need, all on the Spotify platform.

Starting with Woojer’s consumer vest, we designed a new haptic vest for CF use—adding additional transducers, optimizing lung placement, and boosting the 40Hz output. We used an AI-enabled sniffer to search 30 million songs in the Spotify library for therapeutic frequencies, identifying thousands of 40Hz songs for use with the SICK BEATS vest.

Worldwide response to SICK BEATS has been overwhelming. Requests have flooded in, including parents interested in enrolling their children in trials and major clinical institutions wishing to participate in the expanded trial program. There is currently a bidding war between the airway-clearance market leaders to further commercialize the vest.

With clinical application beyond just CF (ie, bronchiectasis and COPD), SICK BEATS is expected to disrupt the billion-dollar airway-clearance vest market. Because of low cost and fun factor, SICK BEATS could grow the market to include those who could not afford, or simply refused prior therapy. A 10% market share is expected within 3 years. Since the vest provides a life-changing therapeutic experience, it is creating stronger brand loyalty as a must-have device. Therefore from a customer lifetime value perspective, SICK BEATS can generate recurring revenue, by expanding into a space that requires continuous use for health applications.