The following is a summary of “Comparison of a portable, pneumotach flow-sensor–based spirometer (Spirofy™) with the vitalograph alpha Touch™ spirometer in evaluating lung function in healthy individuals, asthmatics, and COPD patients—a randomized, crossover study,” published in the May 2024 issue of Pulmonology by Talwar et al.
SpirofyTM represents India’s pioneering portable, pneumotach flow-sensor-based digital spirometer, designed to diagnose asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study aimed to rigorously compare the SpirofyTM device’s performance with the established Vitalograph Alpha TouchTM spirometer, particularly in assessing lung capacities across diverse cohorts, including healthy individuals, asthmatics, and patients with COPD. Additionally, the researchers evaluated inter-device variability between two SpirofyTM units to ensure consistency and reliability.
Conducted as a randomized, three-way crossover, open-label investigation, this study meticulously examined discrepancies in forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) measurements between the SpirofyTM and Vitalograph Alpha TouchTM spirometers. Diagnostic accuracies were gauged using the proportion of FEV1/FVC ratio distributions (<0.7) to compare SpirofyTM against the VitalographTM Alpha TouchTM spirometers.
Ninety participants were recruited for this study. Mean ± SD FVC values obtained from SpirofyTM 1, SpirofyTM 2, and Vitalograph Alpha TouchTM devices were 2.60 ± 1.05 L, 2.64 ± 1.04 L, and 2.67 ± 1.04 L, respectively. Correspondingly, mean ± SD FEV1 values from SpirofyTM 1, SpirofyTM 2, and Vitalograph Alpha TouchTM devices were 1.87 ± 0.92 (L), 1.88 ± 0.92 (L), and 1.93 ± 0.93 (L), respectively. Significantly positive correlations were observed between FVC and FEV1 values recorded by Vitalograph Alpha TouchTM, SpirofyTM 1, and SpirofyTM 2. Notably, compared to the Vitalograph Alpha TouchTM, the SpirofyTM device demonstrated robust sensitivity (97%), specificity (90%), and overall accuracy (93.3%) in identifying an FEV1/FVC ratio < 0.7. Additionally, no notable inter-device variability was detected between the two SpirofyTM devices.
The findings underscore SpirofyTM as a portable, user-friendly device that exhibits accuracy akin to that of the standard Vitalograph Alpha TouchTM spirometer in diagnosing COPD and asthma.
Source: bmcpulmmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12890-024-02972-4