VIASYS Respiratory Care Inc., a subsidiary of VIASYS Healthcare Inc., recently received FDA clearance to market its PulmoLife spirometry screener. PulmoLife is a COPD device designed for quick and easy screening of adult smokers for early detection of COPD. Smokers are at the greatest risk of developing COPD and decline in lung function in susceptible smokers has been shown to be twice that of non-smokers.
The small, innovative device measures FEV1, the measurement of choice in COPD screening. The unit will display a patient's result together with the FEV1 as a percentage of their predicted value. These results are used to calculate a 'Lung Age'. The associated 'Lung Age' graphical display may help the patient realize the physical damage caused by smoking, encouraging attendance for smoking cessation advice and full spirometry assessment, leading to early diagnosis and appropriate management of COPD.