LONG-TERM STABILITY OF RHINOMANOMETER CALIBRATION

Objective: Rhinomanometry is a method to quantitatively measure the pa tency of the nasal airway. Nasal airflow and transnasal pressure gradi ent are measured simultaneously and from these data, nasal resistance to flow is calculated. The reliability of the recordings is dependent on calibration of the pressure transducers and pneumotachograph used t o measure flow and pressure. We introduce a simple and economic method to follow up the calibration and level of resistance results obtained over a long period. Method: In this method, a set of artificial nose models was made with which rhinomanometric recordings were made at reg ular intervals. Each model was tested four times yearly over a 7-year period. Results: Our recordings show that the rhinomanometer used in o ur nose laboratory did give stable results during the 7-year follow-up . Conclusion: We can rely on the comparability of the clinical patient results measured during that period.