Explore the vast range of titles available.

Spirometers are critical devices that reveal the respiratory dynamics caused by respiratory problems and their severity and facilitate their diagnosis and follow-up. Hand-held spirometers have emerged relatively recently and offer several advantages over conventional desktop systems. There remains, however, a need for reassurance of high-quality spirometry testing with next-generation portable spirometers that connect over Bluetooth to smart device applications. In this study, we examine the accuracy and repeatability of lung function measurements of a novel hand-held ultrasonic spirometer, the Spirohome Clinic and compare its clinical performance to a reference device, the EasyOne Air. Benchtop validation of the spirometers was conducted using a lung simulator device according to ATS/ERS guidelines and the ISO 26782 standard waveforms. Subsequently, 48 volunteers (pediatric patients between 6 and 11 years of age and adolescent patients between 12 and 18 years of age) performed spirometry with both the Spirohome Clinic and the EasyOne Air spirometer during their clinic visits. Spirometric data including repeated FEV , FVC, FEV , FEF , and PEF measurements were collected. Both the Spirohome Clinic and the EasyOne Air successfully passed requirements for accuracy stated in relevant guidelines and standards for spirometry. The only statistically significant ( <0.05) difference was for FVC measurement accuracy. Clinical comparisons revealed strong correlation between spirometers in the measurement of key pulmonary function parameters including FEV and FVC with a Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.99. Bland-Altman plots showed good agreement between mean differences of FEV and FVC with the majority measurements remaining between the limits of 95% agreement for both the entire patient cohort and also in age and gender subsets. The present study demonstrated that the Spirohome Clinic spirometer conforms to ATS/ERS performance requirements and validates the clinical comparability of its measurement accuracy and repeatability to the EasyOne Air. These findings support the indicated use of the Spirohome Clinic for high-quality lung function testing in clinical settings.

Long COVID refers to symptoms that appear 3 months after initial infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative virus of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and last for at least 2 months, not attributable to other diagnoses. This health issue significantly burdens patients' quality of life, the economy, and society. Improving the af-termath of COVID-19 is a crucial global health issue in the post-pandemic era. According to current results, it is evident that developing a simple, low-cost respiratory training method that can be easily used at home by themselves with long Coronavirus disease 2019 symptoms (long COVID) is an important and urgent issue. The incentive spirometer is widely used in physical, speech, and respiratory therapy, as well as in preventing postoperative pulmonary infections and improving sputum clearance. However, to date, the role of incentive spirometer respiratory training in long COVID symptoms is still limited. In this literature review is presented to explore the effectiveness of incentive spirometer respiratory training in alleviating symptoms among individuals recovering from long COVID. We also compile non-invasive assessment methods, with the aim to enable individuals to undergo training and assessments conveniently at home or in the community. In this review, a literature review approach was utilized to explore the effectiveness of incentive spirometer intervention in alleviating long-term COVID symptoms. This study is to synthesize the findings of articles published during January 2019 and December 2023 retrieved from PubMed/CINAHL/MEDLINE/ Google Scholar without re-strictions on study type. We ultimately identified seven articles and have summarized similar past studies. This review could contribute to improving symptoms related to long COVID by incentive spirometer respiratory training and serve as practical reference material for clinical medical staff and provide insights for healthcare policymakers in de-veloping guidelines for future research directions, clinical guidance, and educational strategies in the context of nursing care.

The number of patients undergoing open-heart surgery (OHS) is persistently increasing. Additionally, postoperative pulmonary complications have been reported after OHS, and an incentive spirometer has been suggested to prevent postoperative pulmonary complications. However, no commercial incentive spirometer provides the precise inhalation volume. We developed a digital incentive spirometer (DIS) that displays the relevant data. In this study, we aimed to explore the beneficial effects of a DIS on respiratory function in patients who underwent OHS. A randomized controlled trial was designed with 32 patients scheduled for OHS: 16 individuals each were assigned to the DIS and the flow-oriented incentive spirometer (ie, Triflow incentive spirometer) groups, respectively. The patients were requested to use the DIS and Triflow incentive spirometer 15 times/set, two sets/day, from day 1 to 5 postextubation. All participants underwent lung function and respiratory muscle strength assessments prior to OHS and on day 5 postextubation postoperatively. For comparison between and within the groups, we performed an intention-to-treat analysis with a two-way mixed analysis of variance. In both the DIS and Triflow incentive spirometer groups, pulmonary function parameters and maximal respiratory pressure were markedly reduced on day 5 postextubation when compared with those prior to OHS (P<.05). There were no significant differences in pulmonary function or respiratory muscle strength between the two groups (P>.05). Pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength did not differ significantly between the DIS and Triflow incentive spirometer groups among patients who underwent OHS.

Background A challenge in environmental health research is collecting robust data sets to facilitate comparisons between personal chemical exposures, the environment and health outcomes. To address this challenge, the Exposure, Location and lung Function (ELF) tool was designed in collaboration with communities that share environmental health concerns. These concerns centered on respiratory health and ambient air quality. The ELF collects exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), given their association with diminished lung function. Here, we describe the ELF as a novel environmental health assessment tool. Methods The ELF tool collects chemical exposure for 62 PAHs using passive sampling silicone wristbands, geospatial location data and respiratory lung function measures using a paired hand-held spirometer. The ELF was tested by 10 individuals with mild to moderate asthma for 7 days. Participants wore a wristband each day to collect PAH exposure, carried a cell phone, and performed spirometry daily to collect respiratory health measures. Location data was gathered using the geospatial positioning system technology in an Android cell-phone. Results We detected and quantified 31 PAHs across the study population. PAH exposure data showed spatial and temporal sensitivity within and between participants. Location data was used with existing datasets such as the Toxics Release Inventory and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Hazard Mapping System. Respiratory health outcomes were validated using criteria from the American Thoracic Society with 94% of participant data meeting standards. Finally, the ELF was used with a high degree of compliance (> 90%) by community members. Conclusions The ELF is a novel environmental health assessment tool that allows for personal data collection spanning chemical exposures, location and lung function measures as well as self-reported information.

We report a smart phone based handheld wireless spirometer which uses a Lilly type sensing flowhead for respiratory signal acquisition and transmits the data to smartphone or other mobile terminals with Bluetooth signal transmission for data processing and result display. The developed spirometer was demonstrated to be able to detect flow rates ranging from 0–15 L/s with an accuracy of 4 mL/s, and can perform tests of flow volume (FV), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), etc. By having the functions and precision comparable to laboratory spirometers, it satisfies the American Thoracic Society and European Respiratory Society (ATS/ERS) proposed performance requirements for spirometer. At the same time, it is low cost, light and handy, low power consumption battery-powered. The test of 12 cases of subjects using the developed spirometer also indicated that it was easy to use for both providers and patients, and suitable for the Point of Care Test (POCT) of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma at general-practice settings and homes.

Individuals with respiratory conditions, such as asthma, are particularly susceptible to adverse health effects associated with higher levels of ambient air pollution and temperature. This study evaluates whether hourly levels of fine particulate matter (PM.sub.2.5) and dry bulb globe temperature (DBGT) are associated with the lung function of adult participants with asthma. Global positioning system (GPS) location, respiratory function (measured as forced expiratory volume at 1 second (FEV.sub.1 )), and self-reports of asthma medication usage and symptoms were collected as part of the Exposure, Location, and Lung Function (ELF) study. Hourly ambient PM.sub.2.5 and DBGT exposures were estimated by integrating air quality and temperature public records with time-activity patterns using GPS coordinates for each participant (n = 35). The relationships between acute PM.sub.2.5, DBGT, rescue bronchodilator use, and lung function collected in one week periods and over two seasons (summer/winter) were analyzed by multivariate regression, using different exposure time frames. Short-term increases in PM.sub.2.5 were associated with increased rescue bronchodilator use, while DBGT was associated with higher lung function (i.e. FEV.sub.1). Further studies are needed to continue to elucidate the mechanisms of acute exposure to PM.sub.2.5 and DBGT on lung function in asthmatics.

A challenge in environmental health research is collecting robust data sets to facilitate comparisons between personal chemical exposures, the environment and health outcomes. To address this challenge, the Exposure, Location and lung Function (ELF) tool was designed in collaboration with communities that share environmental health concerns. These concerns centered on respiratory health and ambient air quality. The ELF collects exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), given their association with diminished lung function. Here, we describe the ELF as a novel environmental health 50 assessment tool. The ELF tool collects chemical exposure for 62 PAHs using passive sampling silicone wristbands, geospatial location data and respiratory lung function measures using a hand-held spirometer paired. The ELF was tested by 10 individuals with mild to moderate asthma for 7 days in Eugene, OR. Participants wore a wristband each day to collect PAH exposure, carried a cell phone, and performed spirometry daily to collect respiratory health measures. Location data was gathered using geospatial positioning system technology in an Android cell-phone. We detected and quantified 31 PAHs across the study population. Exposure data showed spatial and temporal sensitivity within and between participants. Location data was used with existing datasets such as the Toxics Release Inventory and the NOAA Hazard Mapping System. Respiratory health outcomes were validated using criteria from the American Thoracic Society with 94% of participant data meeting standards. Finally, the ELF was used with a high degree of compliance (>90%) by community members. The ELF is a novel environmental health assessment tool that allows for personal data collection spanning chemical exposures, location and lung function measures as well as self-reported information.

Clinical algorithms are widely used tools for predicting, diagnosing, and managing diseases. However, race correction in these algorithms has faced increasing scrutiny for potentially perpetuating health disparities and reinforcing harmful stereotypes. This narrative review synthesizes historical, clinical, and methodological literature to examine the origins and consequences of race correction in clinical algorithms. We focus primarily on developments in the United States and the United Kingdom, where many race-based algorithms originated. Drawing on interdisciplinary sources, we discuss the persistence of race-based adjustments, the implications of their removal, and emerging strategies for bias mitigation and fairness in algorithm development. The practice began in the mid-19th century with the spirometer, which measured lung capacity and was used to reinforce racial hierarchies by characterizing lower lung capacity for Black people. Despite critiques that these differences reflect environmental exposure rather than inherited traits, the belief in race-based biological differences in lung capacity and other physiological functions, including cardiac, renal, and obstetric processes, persists in contemporary clinical algorithms. Concerns about race correction compounding health inequities have led many medical organizations to re-evaluate their algorithms, with some removing race entirely. Transitioning to race-neutral equations in areas like pulmonary function testing and obstetrics has shown promise in enhancing fairness without compromising accuracy. However, the impact of these changes varies across clinical contexts, highlighting the need for careful bias identification and mitigation. Future efforts should focus on incorporating diverse data sources, capturing true social and biological health determinants, implementing bias detection and fairness strategies, ensuring transparent reporting, and engaging with diverse communities. Educating students and trainees on race as a sociopolitical construct is also important for raising awareness and achieving health equity. Moving forward, regular monitoring, evaluation, and refinement of approaches in real-world settings are needed for clinical algorithms serve all patients equitably and effectively.

Current presence-sensing technologies for energy-efficient lighting control and building optimisation are (i) catered to commercial and institutional environments, and (ii) focused on lamp technology and occupancy detection. They often ignore user behaviour characteristics, which significantly influence energy consumption. Therefore, this study aims to identify alternative sensing techniques as part of a lighting control system that can energy-efficiently support user’s behavioural needs in mixed-function residential spaces. An exploratory study investigated the optimal placement of a non-wearable radar sensor to detect an imitated user’s breathing frequency at varying pre-set horizontal distance positions, and the sensor’s performance was validated with a spirometer. The procedure measured a balloon’s radar-detected distance, radar-detected breathing frequency, and spirometer-registered breathing frequency at each pre-set position. The radar sensor detected all simulated breathing frequencies with almost 100% data accuracy but was not comparable in detecting all distances. The radar offers a less intrusive short-range presence-sensing for homes, accurately detecting breathing frequencies in a contactless way between 0.2m to 0.8m. Further investigations are recommended to develop radar sensing that could predict lighting options based on user’s objective feedback.

Lung is one of the vital respiratory organs in the human body. Where during respiration, there is a process of gas exchange in the lungs by taking oxygen (O2) from the air and releasing carbon dioxide (CO2) into the air. Because in the process of respiration involves air in the surrounding environment, the more contamination of air is inhaled, can cause various lung diseases. If the lung diagnosis is done early, then lung disease can get health care earlier. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a type of disease that blocks the flow of air into the lungs due to swelling and mucus or phlegm, so that the sufferer has difficulty breathing. In making this research, we want to make a design tool to detect COPD and determine its severity using medspiro (medical spirometer). COPD can be diagnosed by measuring the value of Forced Expiratory Volume in One Second (FEV1), Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) and comparing it with predictive values of FVC and FEV1. The results obtained from the manufacture of spirometers have FVC measurement errors of 5.8950%, and FEV1 measurement errors of 10.5030%.