SAMPLER FOR MEASUREMENT OF ALVEOLAR CARBON-MONOXIDE

A simple sampler for measurement of alveolar carbon monoxide (GO) has been developed. The alveolar CO sampler consists of a mouthpiece, an alveolar air trap system using two one-way valves, and an adsorbent tube. The alveolar CO sampler can collect alveolar CO without subjective discard of dead space air in the subject respiratory system, the small size of the alveolar CO sampler could make the measurement of alveolar CO less laborious. Accuracy and precision of the alveolar CO sampler were evaluated with a pseudo-expired test air at a relative humidity of 80% and at a relative humidity of 100%. The alveolar CO sampler can measure alveolar CO ranged from 3 to 70 ppm without relative humidity effect. As one of the applications of the alveolar CO sampler, half-lives of CO for smokers were determined to be 214, 243, and 252 min by taking the alveolar CO samples at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, and 240 min after smoking. Since the alveolar CO sampler is simple, accurate, reproducible, and not affected by subject cooperation, it would be useful for epidemiological studies.