PubMed · 9727770
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O F Pedersen, M R Miller, T W van der Mark. 1998. Performance testing new peak flow meters.. https://doi.org/10.1183/09031936.98.12020261
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BACKGROUND: A study was undertaken to evaluate the use of a biological quality control programme for a computer controlled, breath-by-breath exercise test system over a 2.5 year period. METHODS: One healthy volunteer performed a regular progressive treadmill test with breath-by-breath measurements of oxygen uptake (VO(2)), carbon dioxide output (VCO(2)), ventilation (VE), and the ECG heart rate (HR). Following a familiarisation period, five consecutive tests were performed and the measurements at peak exercise were averaged to give baseline values. All tests were compared with these values. RESULTS: A total of 35 tests were recorded. The within subject standard deviation for measurements at peak exercise were 52 ml/min for VO(2), 74 ml/min for VCO(2), 3.1 l/min for VE, and 3 beats/min for HR. The mean (SE) percentage variation in measurements at peak exercise compared with the baseline values was +0.37 (0.30)% for VO(2), -0.10 (0.39)% for VCO(2), -0.88 (0.52)% for VE, and +1.2 (0.26)% for HR. The variability present in measurements made during high and moderate intensity exercise (73% VO(2)peak) was not significantly different (p>0.05). During the study period the quality control detected a fault on the oxygen analyser which was not apparent from the automatic calibration. CONCLUSIONS: Regular quality control using a healthy volunteer allows all components of the breath-by-breath system to be checked simultaneously and in a manner which is consistent with its clinical use. This practice can highlight faults not detected by automatic calibration.
An aroma compound was quantitated for the first time by GC-olfactometry (GC-O) on the basis of the detection frequency of odorants by a panel of 8-12 persons. The method was previously optimized regarding the coincidence of olfactometric peak apexes and the repeatability of peak height and area over 4 months. The number of required calibration points and the confidence interval of the curve were investigated. This technique was then tested by quantifying a model solution of 1-octen-3-one. The standard addition method was found to be unsuitable in this context, but external calibration gave excellent results in the ppt range. GC-O was then challenged using one of the most sensitive and selective methods, GC/MS, to quantitate 1-octen-3-one in coffee, a complex aroma. Results showed performances comparable to GC/MS/MS for this odorant, or even better as the latter required 75-500 times more sample to perform the quantitation. However, at such a low concentration, overestimation cannot be excluded with either technique because of possible coelution of odorants or isobaric ions, respectively. These results show that GC-olfactometry can compete with the most sensitive and selective techniques, such as MS, for determination of extremely intense odorants, because little sample preparation is required and there is no need for the synthesis of labeled compounds.
Polyvinyl alcohol-cryogel (PVA-C) is a hydrogel that is an excellent tissue mimic. In order to characterize mass transfer in this material, as well as to demonstrate in principle the ability to noninvasively measure solute diffusion in tissue, we measured the diffusion coefficient of the magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agent gadolinium diethylene triaminopentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) through PVA-C using a clinical MR imager. The method involved filling thick-walled rectangular PVA-C "cups" with known concentrations of Gd-DTPA solutions. Then by using a fast inversion recovery spin echo MR imaging protocol, a signal "null" contour was created in the MR image that corresponded to a second, known concentration of Gd-DTPA. By collecting a series of MR images through the PVA-C wall as a function of time, the displacement of this second known isoconcentration contour could be tracked. Application of Fick's second law of diffusion yielded the diffusion coefficient. Seven separate experiments were performed using various combinations of initial concentrations of Gd-DTPA within the PVA-C cups (3.2, 25.6, or 125 mM) and tracked isoconcentrations contours (0.096, 0.182, or 0.435 mM Gd-DTPA). The experimental results and the predictions of Fick's law were in excellent agreement. The diffusivity of Gd-DTPA through 10% PVA hydrogel was found to be (2.6 +/- 0.04) x 10(-10) m(2)/s (mean +/- s.e.m.). Separate permeability studies showed that the diffusion coefficient of Gd-DTPA through this hydrogel did not change with an applied pressure of up to 7.1 kPa. Accurate measurements could be made within 30 min if suitable Gd-DTPA concentrations were selected. Due to the excellent repeatability and fast data acquisition time, this technique is very promising for future in vivo studies of species transport in tissue.