All Topics  
Spirometer

 
Spirometer

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Spirometer
 
 
  Topics Spirometer Topic Home

A spirometer is an apparatus for measuring the volume
Volume

The volume of any solid, liquid, plasma, vacuum or theoretical object is how much three-dimensional space it occupies, often quantified numerically....
 of air
AIR

Air is the part of Earth's atmosphere that humans breath and as such Air .Air may also refer to:...
 inspired and expired by the lung
Lung

The lung is the essential respiration organ in air-breathing animals, including most tetrapods, a few fish and a few snails. In mammals and the more complex life forms, the two lungs are located in the chest on either side of the heart....
s. It is a precision differential pressure
Pressure

Pressure is the force per unit area applied to an object in a direction surface normal to the surface. Gauge pressure is the pressure relative to the local atmospheric or ambient pressure....
 transducer
Transducer

A transducer is a device, usually electricity, electronics, electro-mechanical, electromagnetic, photonic, or photovoltaic that converts one type of energy or physical attribute to another for various purposes including measurement or information transfer ....
 for the measurements of respiration flow rates. The spirometer records the amount of air and the rate of air that is breathed in and out over a specified time. The Spirometer and attached flow head function together as a pneumotachometer, with an output signal proportional to airflow.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Spirometer'
Start a new discussion about 'Spirometer'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


A spirometer is an apparatus for measuring the volume
Volume

The volume of any solid, liquid, plasma, vacuum or theoretical object is how much three-dimensional space it occupies, often quantified numerically....
 of air
AIR

Air is the part of Earth's atmosphere that humans breath and as such Air .Air may also refer to:...
 inspired and expired by the lung
Lung

The lung is the essential respiration organ in air-breathing animals, including most tetrapods, a few fish and a few snails. In mammals and the more complex life forms, the two lungs are located in the chest on either side of the heart....
s. It is a precision differential pressure
Pressure

Pressure is the force per unit area applied to an object in a direction surface normal to the surface. Gauge pressure is the pressure relative to the local atmospheric or ambient pressure....
 transducer
Transducer

A transducer is a device, usually electricity, electronics, electro-mechanical, electromagnetic, photonic, or photovoltaic that converts one type of energy or physical attribute to another for various purposes including measurement or information transfer ....
 for the measurements of respiration flow rates. The spirometer records the amount of air and the rate of air that is breathed in and out over a specified time. The Spirometer and attached flow head function together as a pneumotachometer, with an output signal proportional to airflow. It was invented by John Hutchinson in 1846.

The output produced by a spirometer is called a kymograph trace. From this, vital capacity
Vital capacity

Vital capacity is the maximum volume of air that a person can Exhalation after maximum inhalation.It can also be the maximum volume of air that a person can inhale after maximum exhalation....
, tidal volume
Tidal volume

Tidal volume is the lung volume representing the normal volume of air displaced between normal inhalation and exhalation when extra effort is not applied....
, breathing rate and ventilation rate (=tidal volume x breathing rate) can be calculated. From the overall decline on the graph, the oxygen uptake can also be measured.

A spirometer is one of the basic pulmonary function tests.

History

In 1852 John Hutchinson published a paper describing his water spirometer and the measurements he had taken of over 4,000 subjects, describing the relationship between lung capacity and height. He had begun his work on spirometry in 1844 and discontinued it later in the year.

See also

  • Spirometry
    Spirometry

    Spirometry is the most common of the Pulmonary Function Tests , measuring lung function, specifically the measurement of the amount and/or speed of air that can be inhaled and exhaled....
  • Incentive spirometer
    Incentive spirometer

    An incentive spirometer is a medical device used to help patients improve the functioning of their lungs. It is provided to patients who have had any surgery that might jeopardize respiratory function, particularly surgery to the lungs themselves, but also commonly to patients recovering from Cardiac surgery or other surgery involving exte...
  • Peak flow meter
    Peak flow meter

    A peak flow meter is a small, hand-held device used to monitor a person's ability to breathe out air. It measures the airflow through the bronchus and thus the degree of obstruction in the airways....
  • Respiratory system
    Respiratory system

    A respiratory system?s function is to allow gas exchange. The space between the alveoli and the capillaries, the anatomy or structure of the exchange system, and the precise physiological uses of the exchanged gases vary depending on the organism....
  • Lung volumes
    Lung volumes

    Lung volumes refers to physical differences in lung volume, while lung capacities represent different combinations of lung volumes, usually in relation to inhalation and exhalation....
  • Cardiopulmonary physiotherapy
    Physical therapy

    Physical therapy is a health care profession which provides services to individuals and populations to develop, maintain and restore maximum movement and functional ability throughout life....