If I blow air down the tube, how do I clean the SpiroCard?
Air doesn’t go down the tube, only pressure travels through the tube. There is a static pressure column created between the end of the mouthpiece and the pressure transducer inside the SpiroCard. The patient’s exhalation follows the path of least resistance, the vents on the side of the mouthpiece, thereby preventing moisture from entering the pressure tube. To illustrate take a pressure tube that can be discarded. Attach the pressure tube to the mouthpiece and cover the opposite end of the pressure tube with your finger. Breathe through the mouthpiece. Notice the lack of moisture in the pressure tube behind the mouthpiece. Now remove your finger from the end of the pressure tube and repeat. Moisture will be present. This demonstrates that if used properly the pressure tube will not become contaminated. If a patient covers the vents on the mouthpiece or uses the pressure tube when it is not properly connected to the spirometer, the pressure tube must be replaced. Back to Top When do I
