PFT Machines
Highly accurate pulmonary function testing with low running costs
Pulmonary function tests measure how well the lungs are working. They measure lung volume, capacity, rates of flow and gas exchange. This helps health practitioners diagnose and plan treatments for lung diseases as well as to see how effective medications are at improving a patient’s breathing. Pulmonary function tests can also be used to ensure that a patient’s lungs are functioning well enough for a patient to endure an operation. Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) are also known as lung function tests. The most common pulmonary function test is spirometry which measures the volume and speed (flow) of air that can be inhaled and exhaled in one forced breath.
Click here for the brochure: KoKo Px PFT Systems
Whilst you can get equipment such as spirometers to test for some lung diseases, the most effective way to assess a patient’s overall lung function is with a PFT machine. Most PFT machines measure forced and slow vital capacity, maximum voluntary inhalation and pre- and post-bronchodilator evaluation. It is also beneficial to find a PFT machine that measures methane and nitrogen washout volumes and maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressures. The KoKo PFT Machine Px 3000 has these recommended features for pulmonary function testing. The more features your PFT machine has, the more tests you can perform to measure a patient’s lung health. This increases the validity of PFT results as can triangulate your findings to back up the diagnoses.
Some PFT machines feature body boxes. Although body boxes are not essential to be able to perform a pulmonary function test, they increase the overall reliability of the tests carried out. A body box ensures no outside air is involved in the test. This significantly lowers the risk of inaccuracies in test results. Investing in a body box allows you to have complete confidence that the tests you are carrying out, are as accurate as possible. This will benefit patients as you are able to give them highly accurate results and diagnoses. The most popular PFT machine that comes with a body box is the KoKo Px 4000. The Px 4000 boasts accurate results within <±1% which is 50-300% more accurate than other PFT machines.
When purchasing a PFT machine it is also important to consider if it can perform plethysmography tests. Plethysmography measures the changes in volume in different areas of the body, such as the lungs. This is an important test to carry out as it helps to diagnose restrictive and obstructive lung diseases as well as resistance to airflow and treatment effectiveness. The KoKo Px 4000 allows doctors to perform plethysmography tests in only 1 minute.
Other factors to consider when purchasing a pulmonary function testing machine include:
- What is the overall lifecycle cost of the product?
- Can it measure specific conductance?
- Can it measure diffusion capacity?
- Is it ATS-compliant?