Thora-3DI™ for Evaluation of Severity of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Structured light plethysmography (SLP) is a novel, non-contact method for assessing quiet 'tidal' breathing. A number of studies have reported the effects of conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on tidal breathing patterns, and a previous study has shown that SLP is able to detect differences in ten tidal breathing patterns between healthy subjects and patients with COPD. In this present study, the investigators will aim to confirm the previous findings and also to examine the relationship between SLP tidal breathing parameters and traditional measurements of lung function measured by spirometry and body box plethysmograph. The correlation between SLP parameters with lung Function parameters measured by spirometry and body box plethysmography: forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1); Forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1/FVC (forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity); total lung capacity (TLC) and residual volume (RV). Trends in tidal breathing patterns between varying severities of COPD (based on the (Global initiative for lung disease (GOLD) grading system.

Inclusion criteria

• Age range 18-80 years,
• BMI range 18-40 kg/m2
• Patients diagnosed, or suspected, with COPD or normal subjects with no previous or current diagnosis of respiratory disease

Exclusion criteria

• Patient unable to sit in an upright position for required period of time
• Patients with significant co morbidities (assessed by the clinician at screening only):
• Significant unilateral lung disease e.g. pneumonectomy
• Chest wall or spinal deformity e.g. scoliosis
• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), Apnoea hypopnoea index > 30 (if known)
• BMI>40
• Inability to consent/comply with trial protocol
• Presence of an acute disease process that might interfere with test performance, e.g. Nausea, vomiting, persistent coughing)