Respiratory rate with the help of power lab and Breath

holding effect.
Lecture Outline

Learning Objectives:
At the end of the practical, student should be able to:
Describe normal respiratory movements.
Note the relative durations of inspiration and expiration.

Object
In this exercise, you will record normal and rapid breathing, and examine the effects of
holding your breath after inhaling and after exhaling.

Theory:
Definition:
Respiration refers to the mechanisms for obtaining oxygen from the air and
delivering it to the tissues, while eliminating carbon
dioxide from the body.

Cells in body consume oxygen and produce carbon

dioxide.
gases are exchanged between cells and blood
through lungs.
Breathing movements pump air in and out of the
lungs, where close contact between air and blood
occurs, allowing interchange of oxygen and carbon
dioxide between them.
lungs are 'blind sacs'; that is, there is one way in and
out.
To fill these sacs breathing must be tidal; an in and out series of events rather than
continuous.

The internal structure of the lungs consists of a series

of branching tubes that carry air to the alveoli

Alveoli (air sacs) are tiny thin-walled, highly vascularized

structures where respiratory gas exchange occurs. In the alveoli and throughout the body,
gases diffuse down their concentration gradients. This is usually expressed in terms of the
partial pressures of the gases (PO2 , PCO2) so that comparisons can be made easily
between the 'concentrations' of the gases in the atmosphere and in solution in the body.
This comparison is possible because the concentration of dissolved gas is proportional to
the partial pressure of the gas; this is known as 'Henry's Law'.

Principal muscle activity in quiet breathing

The principal muscle activity in quiet breathing is rhythmic contraction of the diaphragm.
During quiet inspiration, contraction of the diaphragm increases the volume of the chest,
the intrathoracic pressure therefore falls and air flows into the lungs from the atmosphere
down this pressure gradient. In quiet breathing, expiration is mainly passive. The
diaphragm relaxes and the elastic recoil of the lungs raises intrathoracic gas pressure
above atmospheric. Rib movements also occur in quiet breathing through the activity of
the intercostal muscles, but are of small amplitude and
thus contribute relatively little to respiration under these
conditions (Figure 2).

Figure 2.

Diaphragmatic positions and changes in lung volume at the ends of inspiration and
expiration.

Forceful Breathing :

In forceful breathing, rib movements are obvious, and the volume enclosed by the
ribcage changes to a greater extent.
In addition, other muscles are recruited.
The sternomastoid muscles of the neck assist in raising the sternum in forceful
inspiration.
During expiration abdominal muscles raise the pressure in the abdomen and push
the relaxed diaphragm up, providing a powerful expiratory force.
Spontaneous breathing is controlled by the respiratory center in the medulla of the
brain.
The respiratory center ensures that gaseous exchange at the lung matches the
requirements of the body
The respiratory center has chemoreceptors that are sensitive to the partial pressure
of carbon dioxide (PCO2) and pH of the cerebral spinal fluid.
Chemoreceptors sensitive to oxygen partial pressure (PO2 ) are located in the
aorta and carotid arteries.

Procedure
Fasten the respiratory belt around the abdomen of a volunteer, as shown. The transducer should
be:
o
o

At the front of the body, level with the navel.

Tightened sufficiently that it remains under tension
even when the subject fully exhales.

The respiratory belt transducer can be used over clothing, and it doesn't
matter whether the volunteer is sitting or standing, so long as they are
comfortable (this is quite a long exercise). Because breathing patterns

differ, you may need to reposition the transducer over the chest rather than the abdomen to get the
best signal.
Connect the plug on the respiratory belt transducer cable to Input 1 on the front of the PowerLab.
It is important when recording normal respiration that the volunteer is facing away from the
computer screen and is not consciously controlling breathing. The volunteer may have to stare
out a window or read a book to avoid conscious control of respiration.

1. Click Start.
2. Ask the volunteer to breathe rapidly for a few seconds, and then to
breathe slowly. Examine the Breath Rate channel, there should be obvious
changes in rate.
3. Enter a comment: 'Baseline 1' in the slow breathing region of the
data.
4. Click Add.
5. Record 2-3 minutes of normal, quiet breathing and observe the
trace.
6. Enter a comment: 'inhale, hold'.
7. Click Add, and immediately ask the volunteer to take a deep breath
and hold it in for as long as possible.
8. Enter a comment: 'breathe'.
9. When the volunteer begins to breathe again, click Add .
10. Wait until a normal (baseline) breathing pattern resumes; then
let the volunteer rest and breathe normally for another 2-3
minutes.
11. Enter a comment: 'exhale, hold'.
12. Click Add, and immediately ask the volunteer to breathe out
fully and hold the breath for as long as possible.
13. Enter a comment: 'breathe'.
14. When the volunteer begins breathing click Add.
15. Continue recording until a normal (baseline) pattern resumes.
16. Click Stop.
The volunteer can now relax and breathe normally.

Analysis
1. In the Breathing channel, place the Marker on the large peak
following the comment 'inhale, hold'.
2. Move the Waveform Cursor to the start of the first breath
afterwards, which should be preceded by the comment 'breathe'.

3. Click to place the selected data in the Value panel and drag it from the Value
panel into the appropriate cell of the table.
4. Drag the Marker to the large (negative) peak right after the comment
'exhale, hold'.
5. Move the Waveform Cursor to the start of the first breath
afterwards, which should also be preceded by the comment 'breathe'.
6. Click to place the selected data in the Value panel and drag it from
the Value panel into the appropriate cell of the table.