EasyOne Pro from ndd Medical Technologies Chosen Again as the Exclusive PFT Testing Technology in Phase 2 of COPDGene Study

ANDOVER, Mass., July 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- ndd Medical Technologies, a leader in innovative mobile pulmonary function testing (PFT) employing precise ultrasound technology, announced that its EasyOne Pro^® has been chosen as the instrument to measure Carbon Monoxide Diffusing Capacity (DLCO) for phase 2 of the COPDGene^® Study, the most comprehensive study of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) ever undertaken.  COPD is now the third leading cause of death in the U.S. and affects millions of people worldwide. 

In COPDGene phase 1, a multicenter, 10,000-patient study to identify genetic, epidemiological and radiological characteristics of COPD, ndd Medical's market-leading spirometry equipment, EasyOne^® Plus, was used for all spirometry testing.  COPDGene phase 2 added the key test, DLCO, to measure aspects of the lung membrane and the ability of the lungs to oxygenate the blood.

"Spirometry, which has classically been used to measure, diagnose and manage COPD, may not be as accurate as previously thought," says Robert Jensen, Ph.D., head of the study's PFT Quality Assurance.   "The EasyOne Pro provides both DLCO and spirometry testing and is the only instrument incorporating molar mass measurement for very precise analysis." 

According to Jensen, investigators raised additional funds to purchase the EasyOne Pro at all 21 study centers.  The decision was made in part because of the "extraordinary stability" of its ultrasound measurement of volumes and flows, but also for its imperviousness to temperature, barometric pressure, altitude and other factors that can result in faulty measurements of DLCO and spirometry.

Among the goals of the COPDGene study, initially funded with a $37 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, is the understanding of genetic information that contributes or is associated with a person's risk for developing COPD, potentially leading to new therapeutic approaches to control the disease and improve quality of life for COPD patients. 

COPD is the umbrella term for a variety of progressive lung diseases— most commonly emphysema and chronic bronchitis— marked by damaged lung tissue, making it difficult to breathe.

About ndd Medical Technologies, Inc.

With 40 percent of the U.S. spirometry market share, ndd Medical Technologies offers innovative, easy-to-use pulmonary function testing instruments that help clinicians diagnose lung disease with greater precision for optimal treatment.  Its EasyOne^® and EasyOne Pro^® portable instruments take up just 12 inches of space to take lung function testing wherever it is needed, in the pulmonary function laboratory, at the bedside or in the field. ndd's devices measure DLCO, FRC, LCI and FVC with  their patented Ultrasonic TrueFlow™ technology, which requires no calibration, eliminates problems associated with traditional methods of flow measurement, making testing fast, reliable and error free.  To learn more, visit www.nddmed.com.

SOURCE ndd Medical, Inc.