Many of us have never heard of a spirometer, but if you have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), you may recognize this small but mighty piece of equipment. A spirometer is mainly used bedside by Osler’s Respiratory Therapists to help measure a patient’s lung function. It’s non-invasive and measures different volume capacities, flow rate—how much you breathe in and out and how fast you breathe.

What you might not know is how critical it is for making a pulmonary diagnosis, including obstructive pulmonary disease. If you have lung or cardiac surgery, it can also measure how well you are doing in your recovery and can get test results to your physician quickly.

Across Osler, we use the spirometer every day to test a number of patients. Donate today and help purchase more of these important tools.