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February 13, 2008

Autry Tech excited about donated Profiler

By Violet Spader Staff Writer

The respiratory care program at Autry Technology Center recently received a MedGraphics Profiler pulmonary function machine, a piece of equipment that tests lung function.

Ozarks Technical Community College donated the unit to Autry after it purchased newer equipment.

“Rather than just let the old equipment sit there, it was suggested that we call around to see if another respiratory therapy school could put it to good use,” said Doug Pursley, coordinator of the respiratory care program at Ozarks.

“It does it all,” Jim Grantz, respiratory care clinical director at Autry Tech, said of the machine.

It’s used for diagnosing asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), screening lung function before surgery and tracking effectiveness of treatment.

Patients breathe in and out of a mouthpiece through the machine, which measures their breathing. The information is analyzed, and computer software interprets results.

According to Deryl Gulliford, respiratory care program director at Autry Tech, one of the program’s primary clinical sites — St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center — uses the MedGraphics Profiler.

“Having the same equipment in the clinic and in the lab gives students more opportunity to become proficient at performing diagnostic lung tests,” Gulliford said.

A machine like this usually costs about $20,000 when new.

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