Oscillometry  Spirometer

Model: Airwave Oscillometry CS-100

Make: GANSHORN MEDIZIN  ELECTRONIC  GMBH”

Country of Origin: Germany

The tremoflow Airwave Oscillometry System (AOS) is a portable medical device intended to monitor lung function and assess human respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD in adults and children. The device produces measures of airway resistance, reactance and other lung function parameters to assist physicians in diagnosis, treatment selection and evaluation of treatment efficacy. The principle technology of the AOS is based on a compact implementation of the Forced Oscillaton Technique (FOT), a non- invasive technique that assesses lung function by superimposing a multi-frequency airway on top of the patient‘s spontaneous breathing.

-       No specific manouvre needed - just tidal breathing

-       Easy to use and very fast

-       Reversability and provocation testing

-       Suitable for geriatric and pediatric use

-       Semi-automatic calibration in less than 30 sec

-       Compact and portable

Early detection of peripheral airway impairment

§ Obstructive pulmonary diseases including asthma and COPD are increasingly recognized to originate in the “small airways” (i.e., those airways with a diameter of less than 2 mm). Early obstructions in these peripheral airways are oft en not measurable only by spirometry and therefore risk going undetected. Oscillometry has been shown to be sensitive to changes in the small airways. Consequently, oscillometry provides unique and valuable information regarding peripheral lung function over and above spirometry, which translates into better patient outcomes.

§ Ressent studies: combination of spirometry and oscillometry are superiorAs the study by the Scottish Centre for Respiratory Research (published in 2022) shows, it is best to combine the advantages of spirometry and oscillometry measurements. This combination allows a complete characterization of airfl ow limitation in moderate to severe asthma. GANSHORN off ers these advantages exclusively. Its unique product portfolio allows the combination of ultrasound spirometry with SpiroScout, oscillometry with Tremofl o and to show results in one soft ware and one report. Thanks to its network interfaces LFX also off ers the possibility of sending all results from the devices easiely via GDT or HL7. The usability of the soft ware makes reportings and data export quick and easy.

Advantages for children and eldery

§ Anecdotal evidence from numerous clinicians reveals that even for COPD patients for whom spirometry is not explicitly contraindicated, the test is stressful and exhausting. A typical geriatric spirometry test can last 30 minutes. Moreover, there is a risk of false positives due to a change in underlying bronchomotor tone aft er repeated forced expirations.

§ Successful spirometry depends on patient cooperation and maximal eff ort, the success of a test is severely jeopardized in patients who have diffi  culty in understanding and following instructions, including young children, and those with language barriers or mental impairments.

§ As oscillometry is performed in tidal breathing, neither skilled coaching by the operator nor patient eff ort is required to obtain a successful test.

The importance of small airways

·   The small airways are frequently involved early in the course of asthma and COPD diseases, with signifi cant pathology demonstrable oft en before the onset of symptoms or changes in spirometry and imaging.

·   Peripheral airway impairment may be clinical- ly relevant at all levels of asthma severity and control.

Airwave oscillometry  

To assess respiratory function, the tremofl o adds a gentle oscillatory wave to the patient’s regular, quiet breathing. A short measurement duration of only 20 seconds allows three manouveres within a couple of minutes, even in patients who have difficulty performing spirometry.

Oscillometry outcomes

A pair of two curves calculated from the raw data refl ects the mechanical properties of the respiratory system in characteristic patterns. Several key outcome parameters are then derived from these curves.

·                         The  resistance curve shows to refl ect central and peripheral airways.

·                         The  reactance curve shows to refl ect elasticity and peripheral airways.

Key Outcomes

^·          Resistance at 5 Hz ¹

^·          Resistance change, 5 to 20 Hz ¹

^·          Reactance area ¹

Technical Data

·      Measurement Principle :  Oscillometry (Forced Oscillation Technique, FOT)

·      Oscillator Technology :  Breathe-through Vibrating Mesh (Patented)

·      Measurement Modes :  AOS: Pseudo-random noise

·      Measurement Duration : 20 sec, user adjustable 3 repetitions (as per guideline)

·      Patient Interface :  Bacterial/viral fi lter with integrated mouthpiece

·      Performance :  Meets and exceeds ERJ 2003, 22: 1026-1041

·      Marks & Licenses:  Health Canada, CE Mark, ARTG