Microlife PF 100 Peak Flow Meter for Spirometry with FEV1
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List Price: Our Price: $38.97 You Save: $36.03 (48%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Health Care See more product details |
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Customer Reviews of Microlife PF 100 Peak Flow Meter for Spirometry with FEV1
Customer Review: flawed design
Summary: 2 Stars
Ordered one of these 4/10/10 and just (accidentally) destroyed it this morning.
My complaints about this unit:
1. You MUST push in a little recessed set button 4x after replacing the batteries. This is for date setting, used only for date-stamping the data storage, which you may or may not care about.
2. The unit is awkward to use. This is because it is rounded and slippery, so that you have to wrap your hand around to use it without risk of dropping while violently exhaling (the gist of the test). The power button is centered on top and is large and flush with the surface, so if you tighten your grasp during exhaling, you will power the unit off. I consider this a bad mechanical design.
3. FEV1 for a test stays displayed for about a second after the double beep indicating test end, and then you can never see it again. Only PEF (which I don't really care about) stays displayed. Apparently nobody else cares about FEV1 (but then why measure it?)
4.If I wheeze during exhale (I'm asthmatic!), it usually aborts the measurement in less than a second. This happens to me every 5th or 6th test. Then the PEF is reasonable but the FEV1 is meaningless. It sometimes will repeat the error until I let the unit sit unused for a couple minutes.
5. The unit is rounded on all external surfaces except the snout (no edges or corners) and is made of slippery plastic, w/ no rubber grips. It is designed to slide if placed on a hard tilted surface. This morning I picked up my training log (spiral-bound w/plastic cover)with the unit sitting on top of it. As I began walking it slid off the notebook and hit the floor, expelling the batteries. After replacing the batteries and finding a toothpick to "set" the date/time, the unit beeped ready but refused to measure - it is now dead. While I don't expect a delicate mechanical meter to survive such a crash, I DO expect instruments intended for home (rather than clinical) use to be designed in such a way as to avoid rather than facilitate such mishaps.
It's too bad this unit does not have a better mechanical design. It appears to have been designed for an "ergonomic" look, but is in fact just the opposite.
Customer Review: Replaced My Mechanical Meter
Summary: 5 Stars
This meter is really nice. It also has optional software and a USB cable available and / or a small printer available from the manufacturer. Amazon's price is competitive.
Without the software the machine takes your peak value from your trials and bases the zone system on this value.
With the software you can set a known peak flow reading (PEF). The meter automatically calculates whether subsequent readings are in the "green", "yellow" or "red" zone. Syncing the device with the software the first time was a bit tricky. You set a patient number for each unit which isstored internally. I eventually got it. Subsequent readings are automatic. Plug it in and it reads and plots both Peak and FEV1 values. The software would be especially convenient for a physician's office as it recognizes each unit and plots tracks the data for multiple devces. Plug a device in, the software recognises the owner and plots the data for them. You assign a patient number to each unit in the software and upload it to the unit. Next time you plug in the unit analysis and plotting is automatic. Easy.
FEV1 is an indicator of obstruction. As I understand it one should be able to expell the vast bulk of the air from one's lungs in one second (FEV1). If one were to know the total amount of air one could expel one would have a measure of vital capacity, VC. The ratio of FEV1 to VC, (FEV1/VC), is a primary indicator of obstruction. Values above 75%, as I understand it, are not so obstructive. Increasingly smaller values indicate increasing obstruction. In short, one can tell lots from this little brief case or purse sized meter.
For about $100 you can get print outs via the optional printer, or if you have your own computer, via the USB link and software. If you have lung trouble that requires monitoring you should get this or a similar device. It works great. If you fall into that category and are modestly computer literate you might well invest in the software too. A manual unit can cost upwards of $20. This is a better value.
Customer Review: It actually works :)
Summary: 5 Stars
This meter works very well. I bought it for a friend of mine, because of the fact it has the Peak Flow measurement(large airway) and the FEV1 Measurement (small airways). Although this is not as good as the spirometry units pulmonologists have, this unit is portable, and can be used anywhere. You no longer need to go to your pulmonologist every week to see if your medication/lifestyle changes are working for you now.
You can track your readings using the software they sell at the site (this unit does not come with it) and you can take the print out to your doctor after 256 measurements. It really helps to give peace of mind, and to see if you are actually improving or getting worse in certain environments, at certain times, after a cold, flu or bronchitis.
You can use it anytime as much as you want, that is the best thing about it.
I do not know about the actual accuracy of the calibration, but my friend says that the Peak flow of this unit is inline with other meters, and it is pretty close to the FEV1 readings of the Hospital Models.
You can always take it with you to your doctors when you have a spirometry test and then use it there to see how far off it is anyway.
It is great to have all the readings there stored in the unit at your fingertips without having to write down the time and date and readings.
Just make sure you upload it to your computer before you get to the limit or it erases your initial measurements
The unit is great.
Customer Review: Great Peak Flow Meter, Blows out the Competition!
Summary: 5 Stars
Before I bought this peak flow meter, I had the Piko-1 meter, and there is really no comparison between the two; the Microlife definitely blows out its best competitor (the Piko-1).
Although this peak flow meter costs a bit more money, it's well worth it because you'll have a peak flow meter for life. Yes, the Piko-1 meter does store ratings, shows you wear your peak flows are, and is digital, but the mouthpiece is angled, making it difficult to achieve an accurate reading. The straight vertical angle of this peak flow meter makes it much more accurate. It also stores many more ratings than the Piko-1. Another advantage is that it uses easy-to-find batteries rather than having to find a foreign watch battery (or whatever strange size the other one uses).
The package that Amazon sells for the Microlife is excellent! The carry case is well-made, keeping the peak flow meter safe from damage, and the extra mouthpieces allow you to either clean the others while you're using one or have spares. (Incidentally, having the mouthpiece break was what happened to my old Piko-1.) These rubbery mouthpieces are also much more comfortable on the Microlife. I'm taking my peak flows more regularly now than I did with any other peak flow meter (manual or the Piko-1) just because it's easy to use. And you know if you have a breathing condition, this is VERY important!
The Microlife is definitely a peak flow meter for life. :-) I'd recommend it to anyone who's looking for a quality FEV1 meter!
Customer Review: microlife PF 100 delivers
Summary: 5 Stars
I have moderate allergic asthma and found it very interesting that this product measures FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in 1 second) in addition to PEFR. As I understand it, FEV1 is considered the more important reading on Spirometers when looking at Asthma, so I am more interested in monitoring my FEV1 levels than PEFR. In any event, upon receipt I found this product easy to set up, and quite simple to use. It's designed well in that the tubing separates from the body of the device for easy cleaning as does the mouthpiece. I took the unit to my Pulmonologist's office and they thought it appeared to be quite accurate. I can definitely see my FEV1 level change when I'm having a bad day, and need to use my rescue Inhaler. I can also see how much the FEV1 increases after the rescue inhaler is used. If you get a printout of your spirometer readings at your doctor's office, you can use that info to compare against FEV1 readings on this unit at home. No more mechanical meter. I don't bother with the computer software stuff, I just write things out. Others who are more interested in PEFR readings will likely find this unit quite helpful. I can highly recommend this product, and the price seems right.