Manufacture of disposable respiratory filter using in pulmonary function examination

Abstract

Objective To manufacture disposable respiratory filter used in pulmonary function examination. Methods Respiratory filter, which composed of shell outside and filtration material inside, was designed by AutoCAD software. Then the sample was produced and its performance was tested. Results The disposable respiratory filter used specially for pulmonary function examination was successfully designed, drawed and produced. Filtration performance (99.99%), leakage property (no leakage), airflow resistance [(0.82±0.08)cm H2O L-1 S-1], and dead space volume [(63±1) ml] of the filter accorded with the standard required by American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society (ATS/ERS). The filter did not significantly affect the indexes of pulmonary ventilation function by clinical probation. Conclusions Domestic respiratory filter is convenient, effective and cheap, which can filter bacteria from expiratory air, prevent cross infection in pulmonary function examination, and should be applied widely. Key words: Respiration; Filters; Disposable equipment; Respiratory function tests; Bacterial filtration efficiency