"Clinical trials in the U.S. have shown that it is at least as effective as current COPD treatments." - Really doesn't seem like a breakthrough considering there is oscillatory PEP (ie. Flutter and Acapella) and CF kids blowing bubbles in milk bottles for years and years, doing the same thing much more cheaply.

And the mucus/mucous correction is irrelevant as the contents may be blood, serous or something else - not just mucus. Once it's passes the throat it's sputum. Yum.