[ThorAKUSTIK - a computer-based method to determine the oronasal respiratory flow]
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Updated: May 18, 2026

Employing the Forced Oscillation Technique for the Assessment of Respiratory Mechanics in Adults
Published on: February 9, 2022
Background:
Respiratory flow detection with the aim of detecting sleep-related breathing disorders plays a major role in polysomnography. Due to the fact that pneumotachographs are too bulky and not suitable for measurements during sleep, the ThorAKUSTIK system has been developed. By attaching a noise sensor right next to larynx, it determines the respiratory flow in an acoustic way.
Methods:
The ThorAKUSTIK system as well as a pneumotachograph were applied simultaneously. The correlation between those two methods has been calculated.
Patients:
We investigated twenty male subjects. All of them were non-smokers.
Results:
The ThorAKUSTIK-System showed a highly positive correlation (r = 0.89 to 0.91; p < 0.01) and was able to measure the respiratory flow in a reliable way.
Conclusions:
The ThorAKUSTIK-System allows a long-term live monitoring and has the potential to be used in several clinical departments. Larger studies are necessary to verify the application in the clinical routine.
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