초록
Background: Vibration response imaging (VRI) is a new technology that records energy generated by airflow during the respiration cycle. Analysis of lung sound using VRI may overcome the limitations of auscultation. Objectives: To set a VRI standard for healthy Koreans, we conducted a clinical assessment to evaluate breath sound images and quantification in healthy subjects and compared the findings with reported breath sound characteristics. Methods: Recordings were performed using the VRIxp. Eighty subjects took a deep breath four times during a 12-second interval while sitting upright. The quantitative aspect was analyzed using the VRI quantitative lung data (QLD) for total left lung, total right lung and for six lung regions: left upper lung (LUL), left middle lung (LML), left lower lung (LLL), right upper lung (RUL), right middle lung (RML), right lower lung (RLL). The qualitative aspect was provided through image assessments by three reviewers. Results: In all regions the left lung had significantly higher QLD than the right lung (P<0.005, paired t-test). The inter-rater agreement was 0.78. 84% of the images were found normal by the final assessment. Among the 16% (n=13) of images with abnormal final assessment, the most common flawed features were dynamic image (77%, n=10) and maximum energy frame (MEF) shape (77%, n=10). No significant differences were found between males and females for QLD but there were significant differences in qualitative aspects including dynamic images, MEF shape, and missing LLL. Conclusion: The characteristics of healthy Koreans are similar to those of Western subjects reported previously. VRI is easy to use and objective, and so is helpful to diagnose patients with respiratory diseases and to monitor the progress of diseases after medical treatments.
