2
Intended Use
The piCO™, piCO
baby
™ and Micro
+
™ Smokerlyzer® products are breath carbon monoxide monitors
intended for multi-‐patient use by healthcare professionals in smoking cessation programmes and
research.
Introduction
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a toxic, odourless, colourless and tasteless gas. It is formed by the
incomplete combustion of organic material at high temperatures, with an insufficient oxygen supply.
When inhaled, CO displaces oxygen in the bloodstream to form carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb). This
starves body tissue of oxygen restricting the body’s performance and causing health implications. CO
can remain in the bloodstream for up to 24 hours, depending on factors such as physical activity,
sex, and inhalation intensity. The half-‐life is about 5 hours.
CO (ppm), carboxyhaemoglobin (%COHb) and foetal carboxyhaemoglobin (%fCOHb) correlation:
Breath carbon monoxide is measured in parts per million (ppm) and blood carboxyhaemoglobin is
measured in percentages (%COHb and %fCOHb). The three are compatible and convertible: the ppm
CO reading relates to gas in the lungs and on the breath (i.e. the amount of poisonous CO that has
been inhaled), and the %COHb and %fCOHb readings relate to the percentage of vital oxygen that
has been replaced in the bloodstream.
The piCO
™
Smokerlyzer® displays both CO ppm and %COHb, the piCO
baby
™
Smokerlyzer® displays
both CO
ppm,%FCOHb and %COHb and the Micro
+
™ Smokerlyzer® displays CO ppm, %COHb and
%FCOHb. However all devices only directly measure CO ppm, the %COHb and %fCOHb is a
calculation based on clinical evidence. Clinical research has demonstrated that a useful relationship
between carbon monoxide and carboxyhaemoglobin is obtained after a short period of breath-‐
holding.
The cut-‐off point between smoker and non-‐smoker differs based on local regulation, Bedfont have
created cut-‐off levels as a guide only, see ‘Traffic Light Pre-‐set Cut off Levels’, these can be altered
in-‐line with your local regulations from the settings screen.
Taking a breath test
1.
Attach a breath sampling D-‐piece and new mouthpiece.
2.
Turn on the monitor by pressing the power button once.
3.
Press ‘Breath Test’ symbol on screen,
or
.
4.
To cancel the breath test, press
.
5.
Inhale and hold breath for the pre-‐set 15 second countdown.
6.
A beep will sound during the last three seconds of the countdown.
7.
Blow slowly into mouthpiece, aiming to empty lungs completely.
8.
The ppm and equivalent %COHb and/or %fCOHb levels will rise and hold on-‐screen.
