In its latest guidelines, the ERS task force expresses the consideration that for a long time the subjects subjected to the EBC collection were asked to breathe with tidal volume for a defined period of time. This recommendation must be reviewed because said sampling method involves a large variable in the volume exhaled for each breath and over time. Assuming constant operating conditions of the condenser, the volume exhaled at a time (i.e. minute volume) was identified as the most important factor for the EBC volume collected at a time. Consequently, the volume of exhaled breath, the volume of condensation collected from the exhaled volume and the collection time must be correlated in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the collection of EBC. So in light of the above considerations, MEDIVAC has created a small measuring instrument, called VOLMET 20, suitable for measuring the total volume of air exhaled during an EBC collection session. The VOLMET 20 is positioned on the DECCS disposable collection circuits and allows you to set a numeric value on its display (expressed in liters, e.g. 50 equals 50 lt.) Which represents the threshold value to be reached, equal for all subjects monitored and independent of the time required to reach it; this allows the normalization of samples collected from different subjects, uniforming the volume of exhaled air as a reference term. The instrument is powered separately by the TURBO condenser and / or by the AAV valve, it is simple to use and the achievement of the set threshold value is signaled acoustically by a buzzer.
VOLMET 20 can also be used with the PILOT STUDY KIT.