The Ramathibodi Nasal Filter in a Simulated Human
Airway : Evaluated with Laser Smoke Particles and a
Laser Diode Dust Portable Monitor
KUNCHITTHAPE TANPOWPONG, M.D.*,
CHUMROON CHIRA TTHITI, M.Sc. **
Affiliation : * Department of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400,
** Environmental Health Center Region One, Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi 11000,
Thailand.
AbstractThe Ramathibodi nasal filter was specially designed as a personal respiratory protective
device. It was attached to a simulated human airway composed of a nasal and pharyngeal model,
airway passage and lung model machine. The system was run in a laser smoke particles environ-
ment. The laser smoke particles with suspended particulate matter size of less than 15, 10 and
2.5 microns (PM15, PMlO and PM2.5) were selected. The amount of each particle size in the
simulated human airway with and without the Rarnathibodi nasal filter was measured continuously
by a laser diode portable dust monitor. One hundred sample sizes were analyzed by a descriptive
statistical method at the Department of Otolaryngology, Ramathibodi Hospital from January to
November 1999. The grap)lic distribution patterns of each residual particle size in the simulated
human airway with and without the Ramathibodi nasal filter were compared. The filtration effi-
cacy of the Ramathibodi nasal filter should be tested further by this experimental model. The
device could be applied intermittently in adult nasal vestibules.
Keywords : Nasal, Filter, Simulated, Human, Airway, Laser Smoke Particle, Dust Monitor,
Portable, Laser Diode
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