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This is a trade name which is sometimes applied to all bellows types of spirometer. It consists of a large hinged-type bellows in a box. The lower side of the bellows is fixed, while the upper part operates a pen which moves over a chart to indicate the volume of gas inside. The subject blows into the bellows after a deep breath and a graph is produced of volume exhaled against time. From the resulting graph the forced vital capacity (FVC) can be read as well as the forced expiratory volume (FEV). The peak flow rate can also be deduced.
Such devices are found in a lung function laboratory for assessing the performance of the lungs.
Content and Design Copyright 2000 Dr. Malcolm C Brown. See Title Page for more details