B.O.L.T spirometer is a device that can measure the condition of your lungs, by measuring the flow and volume of air inhaled and exhaled forcefully. To take a spirometry test, simply fix the turbine (consumable) to the Spirometer, launch the B.O.L.T app on your mobile device and follow along as the app guides you through the test with easy-to-follow instructions. This medical device records the amount of air you breathe-in and out and the speed at which you do so, and displays the various spirometry parameters.

Based on the measured parameters, it can be concluded whether the lung condition is normal, or suffering from any Obstructive / Restrictive patterns (Like COPD, Asthma and ALS). It depends on how much air the user is able to exhale and inhale, and what proportion of air can be breathed-out within the first second through the BOLT Spirometer turbine.

• Displays FEV1, FVC, FEVI / FVC, PEF, FEF 25-75%, FVC%, FEV1%, FEV1 reversibility (ml), FEV1 reversibility%, PRE – POST Synchronously
• Lung obstruction / Restriction Result
• Available for Android, Windows and iOS smartphones and tablets
• Easy-to-use B.O.L.T app instantly displays results and lung conditions
• Ability to store data in B.O.L.T Personal Health Cloud
• Maintain historical / trend data of all vital statistics measured
• Multi-language support.
• Multi-user login support with built-in security to safeguard and protect personal health data
• Rechargeable Battery
• Extensible API to support integration with external health systems and web applications.

FVC is the volume of air that can forcibly be blown out after full inspiration, measured in liters. FVC is the most basic maneuver in spirometry tests.

FEV1 is the volume of air that can forcibly be blown out within one second, after full inspiration. Average values for FEV1 in healthy people depend mainly on gender and age.

FEV1/FVC (FEV1%) is the ratio of FEV1 to FVC. In healthy adults, this should be approximately 70–85% (declining with age). In obstructive diseases (asthma, COPD, chronic bronchitis, emphysema) FEV1 is diminished because of increased airway resistance to expiratory flow, the FVC may be decreased as well, due to the premature closure of airway in expiration, just not in the same proportion as FEV1 (for instance, both FEV1 and FVC are reduced, but the former is more affected because of the increased airway resistance). This generates a reduced value (<80%, often ~45%). In restrictive diseases (such as pulmonary fibroses) the FEV1 and FVC are both reduced proportionally and the value may be normal or even increased as a result of decreased lung compliance.

Peak expiratory flow (PEF) is the maximal flow (or speed) achieved during the maximally forced expiration initiated at full inspiration, measured in liters per minute or in liters per second.

Forced Expiratory flow between the 25% and 75% of FVC.

A derived value of FVC% is FVC predicted based on the gender, age, sex, height and BMI and ethnicity.

A derived value of FEV1% is FEV1% predicted, which is defined as FEV1% of the patient divided by the average FEV1% in the population, for any person of similar age, sex and body composition.

FEV1 reversibility (ml):

FEV1 reversibility is the value measured after the intake of a fast-acting bronchodilator (medication) through inhalation. Reversibility testing helps to grade the severity of COPD and other conditions according to your FEV1measurement after you have taken a medication to relax and widen your airways.

WHAT ARE NORMAL, OBSTRUCTIVE, RESTRICTIVE AND COMBINED PATTERNS?

A spirometry reading usually shows one of the following three main patterns.

• Normal
• Obstructive pattern
• Restrictive pattern

NORMAL PATTERN:

The normal range is calculated by the spirometer based on height, age, gender and ethnicity. If the lungs and airways are healthy, you can blow out most of the air in the first second. This pattern (Only Exhale portion is shown below) tells the doctor/Physician that the test readings are normal when compared to the expected results for your profile.

OBSTRUCTIVE PATTERN:

An obstructive pattern is typical if you have a lung conditions that narrow your airways, such as COPD and asthma. This means that the air flows out of your lungs more slowly than it should (low FEV1) with less than 70% of the total amount in the first second.

Spirometry can help to assess if inhaled medication or inhalers can open up your airways by reversibility testing. Usually, medication is more effective if you have asthma. Reversibility testing helps to grade the severity of COPD and other conditions according to your FEV1 measurement after you have taken a medication to relax and widen your airways.

If you are living with COPD and the FEV1/FVC ratio is lower than expected, the criteria below is generally used for concluding the severity.

RESTRICTIVE PATTERN

In the restrictive pattern, the total amount of air you can breathe in is reduced but the speed you can breathe out is preserved. In this situation, both the FEV1 and FVC will be lower than predicted, but the ratio between the two will not be reduced. This is caused by various conditions that affect the tissue of your lungs or affect the capacity of your lungs to expand and hold a normal amount of air, such as pulmonary fibrosis. This pattern can also be seen in people who are significantly overweight, have an abnormal curvature of the spine or weak breathing muscles.

COMBINED PATTERNS:

In a few disorders/conditions, these two processes (obstruction and restriction) can occur simultaneously in a person, where both the total amount of air (Volume) and how fast you can blow out (Flow rate) are reduced.