International Biophysics Corp. has announced that the company will now manufacture its AffloVest in the United States. AffloVest is the first portable High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation (HFCWO) medical device which can provide critical treatment for patients with cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis and other respiratory conditions.
In the past, many U.S. companies took their manufacturing facilities abroad, mainly because of tax lower wages and tax advantages. But companies are reconsidering this strategy due to changes in the world economy.
“We manufactured the AffloVest in Germany, but overall costs in Europe, like China, kept rising,” H. David Shockley Jr., CEO of Austin, Texas-based International Biophysics, said in a press release.
Offering a “Made in the USA” brand allows International Biophysics to create a higher quality product. “By on-shoring our manufacturing, we are creating great jobs domestically, made possible by improved quality and cost competitiveness. We all win,” Shockley said.
The company’s new “Made in the USA” product includes a better overall fit, a fashionable denim color, a digital and programmable controller with compliance monitoring, longer battery life and several sizes.
International Biophysics is also bringing a new product to the market called AffloVest Pro, which is a special infection control device for hospitals. AffloVest Pro is disposable and enables medical professionals to better control oscillation and to target specific parts of the lungs during treatment.
Independent clinical studies of the AffloVest demonstrated that patients experienced improved lung function, and increased compliance due to its portability and ease of use.
The following observations were made during an independent clinical study led by Michael Cooper, a respiratory therapist at a pediatric respiratory clinic in the U.S.: “Improved FEV 1, FEF and FVC Ratios (all lung function parameters) for all the patients together was over 10%. With the AffloVest, the direct percussion as well as the vibration, with that combo, it’s a win-win.”