[Simultaneous measurement of the kinetics of disinfection temperatures using pyoptometer techniques in the capillary system of a new type of inhalation device].

Due to patient collectives with chronic respiratory diseases it is important to avoid the transfer of pathogenic as well as opportunistic nosocomial infective agents during inhalation therapy. According to the literature in clinical practice the colonization with gram negative bacteria constitutes a hygienically relevant hazard. We have tested an inhaler whose patient-side inhalation insert can be autoclaved and whose other parts, whether filled with water or air, can be partially disinfected through a programmable hot air stream. In simultaneous measurements of the disinfecting temperature at four positions of the basic appliance the time-dependent kinetics could be shown for different conditions of thermoisolation and flow of the volume stream by means of pyoptometer thermal probes. The pyoptometer probe technique, which is based on a change of the wave length of laser light in a gallium crystal of 0.5 mm diameter, allows temperature measurements practically without delay. As the connection from the probe crystal to the laser sensor is made by glass fibre cable, the measuring lead remains unaffected by galvanic-technical and secondary thermal effects. It could be demonstrated that the required disinfection temperature in the capillary system of the entire inhaler was reached within 17 min even under worst case conditions (studies of the longest capillary, water replenishment of the entire system before disinfection). Compared to former systems the evaluated apparatus constitutes thus a significant progress in the development of inhalation systems.