Assessing the Reliability and Validity of a Newly Developed Breathing Movement Measuring Device

Abstract

Abstract.[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to test the reliability and validity of a breathing movement measuring device (BMMD) that was newly developed for the objective assessment of breathing movements in clinical practice. [Subjects and Methods] The breathing movement distances of the chest (bilateral third and eighth ribs) and abdomen (upper abdomen) of 30 healthy young males were measured using the BMMD and a threedimensional (3D) motion analysis system during quiet breathing. During measurements, the pen-size mechanical BMMD was held in the hand and placed on selected observation points. Distances on the BMMD scale were read by two raters. In addition, the breathing movement distances of 10 subjects were measured during quiet breathing using the BMMD fixed on a tripod. The distances between the reflective markers on the observation points were measured. The intraclass correlation coefficient, Bland-Altman analysis, and Pearson's correlation coefficient were performed.[Results] The inter-rater reliability of the BMMD was low-to-moderate. However, the reliability and validity between the two measurement methods were high. Systematic errors were identified for almost all the observation points.[Conclusion] The reliability and validity of the BMMD, which works by comparing the reflective marker distances, were acceptable. These findings suggest that the BMMD may be useful for quantitatively assessing chest and abdominal wall movements during quiet breathing in clinical practice.

Estimating Breathing Movements of the Chest and Abdominal Wall Using a Simple, Newly Developed Breathing Movement-Measuring Device

“…The sample size was determined using the results of a previous study 15 that used this BMMD. The results revealed a minimal r 2 of 0.69 during QB (unpublished data).…”

“…These results were consistent with those of the previous studies, which showed relatively lower reliability and agreement. 2,15,16 This may be explained by assuming that the differences between the 3D and BMMD distances were relatively more variable among the subjects, that is, variations in the trajectory of the left lower chest marker were relatively large.…”

“…15 For DB, if the wrist and elbow are fixed firmly, good reliability of the BMMD measurement can be maintained for patients with decreased chest and abdominal mobility. Furthermore, when the measuring angle of the BMMD and the direction of the breathing movement are not clearly matched, the mark of the BMMD cannot move smoothly.…”

“…A previous study showed that this BMMD was useful for quantitatively assessing chest and abdominal wall movements during quiet breathing (QB). 15 However, the accuracy of this BMMD for assessing chest and abdominal wall mobility during deep breathing (DB) has not been investigated. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine whether the breathing movement distances of the chest and abdominal wall were adequately estimated using this BMMD in healthy young males.…”

Monitoring Breathing Using a Doppler Radar

“…In recent years, new instruments/devices have been proposed for measuring respiratory/breathing movement. Researchers in Sweden developed a Respiratory Movement Measuring Instrument (RMMI) [14], while researchers in Japan developed a Breathing Movement Measuring Device (BMMD) [15], [16]. These handheld devices make contact with subjects and have reported success and reliability in measuring breathing movement.…”