Respiratory / VISUAL EXPLAINER

How Spirometry Measures Your Lung Function 🫁

Spirometry measures selected air-volume and airflow features. A mouthpiece connects airflow to a device. Measuring air movement is different from measuring gas transfer into blood and does not give a complete picture of lung function.

Exhaled-air arrows rise from lungs through trachea and mouthpiece to a generic device; a separate alveolar inset distinguishes gas transfer from volume and flow. — English illustration · P0454 · Version 1.0

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What the illustration shows

English educational poster titled “How Spirometry Measures Your Lung Function” with a lung symbol. Its subtitle says selected airflow and volume measurements are not a complete picture of lung function. A profile head and translucent chest expose the mouth, throat, trachea and lungs. Cyan arrows travel from the branching lung airways upward through the trachea and out through a mouthpiece at the lips. A flexible external tube connects to a generic spirometry device with a blank display. Direct labels identify lungs, trachea, mouthpiece, exhaled air and spirometry device. A separate circular inset depicts alveoli beside blood vessels with arrows and the statement that gas transfer into blood is a different measurement. Two bottom cards read VOLUME, How much air moves, with an abstract glowing cylinder, and FLOW, How fast air moves, with arrows and a clock. No measurement numbers, patient curves or diagnostic result are shown. Text marks anatomy and device as conceptual, not a patient result. Navy/cyan field, light peach anatomy, gold AllHumanBody.com and complete slogan. Educational illustration, not a diagnosis.

How to interpret this poster

Selected measurements only, not all lung volumes or health certification. Generic device/flow clock conceptual; no test coaching, thresholds, curves, diagnostic categorization, preparation or medication changes.
AI-assisted educational illustration; not physician certification, a diagnosis or individualized medical advice.
Fine annotations require enlargement; preserve the full uncropped illustration and its qualifiers.

AI-assisted educational illustration, adapted into web-sized images without changing its composition. This is general education, not an individual diagnosis or treatment recommendation.

EVIDENCE / CONTEXT

Sources and what they support

NHLBI: Pulmonary function laboratory tests ↗
Spirometry volume/time measurement distinct from diffusion/gas-transfer testing.
American Lung Association: Spirometry ↗
Moved-air amount/speed and mouthpiece-device connection.

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