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Measurement of tidal flow using a transit‐time ultrasonic breath analyser
Author(s) -
WILLIAMS E. M.,
BURROUGH S. L. M.,
McPEAK H.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
anaesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.839
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2044
pISSN - 0003-2409
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2044.1995.tb05999.x
Subject(s) - medicine , analyser , tidal volume , flow measurement , flow (mathematics) , ultrasonic sensor , volume (thermodynamics) , acoustics , mechanics , anatomy , physics , respiratory system , optics , radiology , quantum mechanics
Summary The ability of the Transit‐time Ultrasonic Breath Analyser (TUBA, GHG Medical Electronics GMBH, Zürich, Switzerland) to measure peak flow and tidal volume in the laboratory was tested using a variety of flow and pressure conditions, chosen to simulate the respiratory patterns of patients receiving mechanical ventilatory support. A stable zero baseline was achieved by acoustic damping of the TUBA flow sensor head. A piston pump was used to generate sinusoidal flow pattern, with a peak flow range from 0.1 to 1.5 l.s ‐1 . The calculated peak flow matched the peak flow measured by the TUBA. The TUBA accurately measured tidal volumes (± 10%) delivered using three different flow patterns over a range of volumes from 0.25 to 11. We conclude, that once modified, the TUBA can provide an accurate measurement of peak flow and tidal volume over a range of values likely to be encountered during mechanical ventilation of the lungs.