ndd Medical Technologies (ndd), a provider of diagnostic technology for the early detection of COPD and other chronic lung diseases, has introduced new single patient-use, inline filters for its lung function testing devices, in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The new filters can be used with ndd’s portable EasyOne spirometry range, including the EasyOne Air, EasyOne Pro, and EasyOne Pro LAB. EasyOne, deliver, real-time lung function results and diagnosis of chronic lung diseases, including at the point of care.
The SARS-CoV-2 virus is known to affect the lungs and there is growing research into the effects of COVID-19 on lung function post-infection.
The EasyOne product line was originally designed with a strong focus on infection control with easy-to-wipe surfaces, single-use parts for anything that comes into contact with a patient’s breath, and ndd’s spirette and flow tube design protects the flow sensor from cross-contamination. Now, when performing spirometry and testing of the diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO tests), the new EasyOne inline, single patient-use filters provide “double protection” for technicians and patients by keeping the ambient environment clean, without significantly affecting the EasyOne’s sensitivity.
ndd’s sensitivity tests have shown that the new inline filters do not significantly affect this sensitivity and show comparable results in 24 waveform testing, (as required by ATS/ERS) and pass testing requirements. Medical research organisations—such as Johns Hopkins University, University Hospital Zurich and University of Cape Town—are partnering with ndd to assess the long-term lung damage caused by SARS-CoV-2.
Dr Trishul Siddharthan, assistant professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins University, said: “There is a lot of research underway to investigate the long-term effects of COVID-19. Our research group has been partnering with ndd thanks to the reliability of these spirometers in global settings and the ease of cleaning these devices during the pandemic to ensure safety.”
Incorporating ndd’s patented TrueFlow ultrasound technology, the EasyOne translates airflow into ultrasound signals which are measured by the sensors, so the patient’s breath does not come into contact with the sensors. This helps to prevent contamination and minimises the cleaning required for safe use, while enabling a lifetime of calibration-free accuracy for flow and volume measurements.
Georg Harnoncourt, ndd Medical’s CEO, said: “At ndd we have always designed our lung function testing products with safety in mind, so since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have worked tirelessly to develop additional infection control measures to protect both technicians and patients. Our EasyOne spirometers already offer superior infection control as everything that comes into contact with a person’s breath is replaced after use. In addition, our new inline filters have been carefully designed and tested so that, in combination with this superior infection control design, you can continue critical lung function testing during the COVID-19 pandemic as safely as possible.”
