Spirometer – it is the standard equipment used to measure the capacity of the human lungs.

It has a chamber (of capacity

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approximately 6 dm ) suspended freely over water and counterbalanced so that gas passed in or drawn out makes the chamber rise
or fall. You can make a permanent record of the movements of the chamber either by attaching a pen to it and allowing it to write
on a drum revolving slowly (kymograph
With a spirometer filled with oxygen and carbon dioxide absorbed, the maximum time a student should use the spirometer is 5
minutes. Useful results can usually be obtained within 2-3 minutes. For investigation of breathing after exercise, or breathing over
an extended time, it is essential to use a spirometer filled with oxygen.
With a spirometer filled with air and carbon dioxide not absorbed, the maximum time a student should use the spirometer is 1
minute. Only a fifth of atmospheric air is oxygen and as the carbon dioxide level rises, the subject will experience a feeling of
suffocation, feel short of breath and breathe faster and deeper.
Investigating human breathing
Calibrate the spirometer as follows:
 Empty all the air out of the chamber. If using a kymograph, make sure that the pen makes a mark on the lower part of the drum.
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 Let a specific volume of air into the spirometer chamber (say 500 cm ). Record the position of the chamber by making a mark on
the kymograph.
 Do this again, letting in the same volume of air each time, until the chamber has risen as high as possible.
 When you have finished calibrating, flush the spirometer with oxygen four times and leave it full, with the taps closed.
 The changes in lung volume during breathing are investigated using an apparatus called a spirometer.
 This consists of a Perspex lid enclosing the spirometer chamber, hinged over a tank of water.
 This chamber is connected to the person taking part in the experiment via an interchangeable mouthpiece and flexible tubing.
 As breathing proceeds, the lid rises and falls as the chamber volume changes.
 With the spirometer chamber filled with air, the capacity of the lungs when breathing at different rates can be investigated.
Incidentally, if the spirometer chamber is filled with oxygen, and a carbon dioxide-absorbing chemical such as soda lime is added
to a compartment on the air return circuit, this apparatus can be used to measure oxygen consumption by the body, too.

Measuring vital capacity of a volunteer

1. During the test, soft nose clips may be used to prevent air escaping through the nose. Filter mouthpieces may be used to prevent
the spread of microorganisms.
2. Calibrating chart- ; first evacuate the air from air tight chamber and see where the pen makes a spot on the chart recorder. And
then fill the chamber with a known volume of air, now the pen will point at a different height. Count the number of small grids
on the recorder, which is equal to the known volume introduced thus we can calculate the volume equal to one small grid.
3. switch on chart recorder and person breathes through mouthpiece; deep breath in then {fully out}
4. VC = IRV + TV+ ERV ; read volume from chart;

Note: The amount of oxygen consumed is found by comparing the lowest point of a trace at the start of a time period with the
lowest point of the same trace at the end of this period. Compare this vertical distance with the initial volume calibration.
If a line drawn through all the peaks of a trace in any one period is straight, this shows that the subject consumed oxygen at a
constant rate.