Design and Evaluation of a Novel Venturi-Based Spirometer for Home Respiratory Monitoring

Abstract

The high cost and limited availability of home spirometers pose a significant barrier to effective respiratory disease management and monitoring. To address this challenge, this paper introduces a novel Venturi-based spirometer designed for home use, leveraging the Bernoulli principle. The device features a 3D-printed Venturi tube that narrows to create a pressure differential, which is measured by a differential pressure sensor and converted into airflow rate. The airflow is then integrated over time to calculate parameters such as the Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) and Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1). The system also includes a bacterial filter for hygienic use and a circuit board for data acquisition and streaming. Evaluation with eight healthy individuals demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability, with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) of 0.955 for FVC and 0.853 for FEV1. Furthermore, when compared to standard Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) equipment, the spirometer exhibited strong correlation, with Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.992 for FVC and 0.968 for FEV1, and high reliability, with ICCs of 0.987 for FVC and 0.907 for FEV1. These findings suggest that the Venturi-based spirometer could significantly enhance access to spirometry at home. However, further large-scale validation and reliability studies are necessary to confirm its efficacy and reliability for widespread use.