SERVICES
Expert Lung Diagnostics to Breathe Easier
Click on the services to the right and jump to the related section and descriptions.
SERVICES
Expert Lung Diagnostics to Breathe Easier
Modern Lung Diagnostics offers a wide range of pulmonary services designed to make your experience as smooth and effective as possible.
Comprehensive testing and personalized care are tailored to your unique needs, ensuring accurate diagnoses and better outcomes.
We work closely with your physician, providing detailed reports and insights that make the process seamless and stress-free for you and your healthcare team.
Modern Lung Diagnostics offers a wide range of pulmonary services designed to make your experience as smooth and effective as possible.
Comprehensive testing and personalized care are tailored to your unique needs, ensuring accurate diagnoses and better outcomes.
We work closely with your physician, providing detailed reports and insights that make the process seamless and stress-free for you and your healthcare team.
Services
Tap on a service and jump to the description.
Pulmonary Function Testing (Adult & Pediatric)
A pulmonary function test (PFT) is a series of breathing exercises designed to briefly challenge your lungs and assess its abilities. Each test measures a specific aspect of your lung function, including size of the lungs, how much air volume can be held, airway muscle strength, gas exchange capabilities, reactiveness to environmental irritants, and response to inhaled medications. We provide testing for both adults and pediatrics (6 years and older).
No short-acting bronchodilator (Ventolin, Bricanyl, Atrovent, etc.) within 4 hours of your appointment.
No long-acting bronchodilator or inhaled corticosteroid (Symbicort, Advair, Spiriva, Breo, Trelegy etc.) within 24 hours of your appointment.
Please refrain from taking any medications that may impair your judgement and affect your ability to follow instructions during your appointment.
Please note, if you are booked for a standard PFT, use of medications too close to your appointment time will not necessarily result in your test being cancelled. Inform your Respiratory Therapist of when your inhalers were last taken.
If you are booked for a Methacholine Challenge, use of any inhaler within the timeframes specified will result in your appointment being cancelled and your test rebooked.
Your appointment will be booked between 30-45 minutes.
Please plan to be in the clinic for up to 1 hour.
Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) are a powerful diagnostic tool which help doctors confirm or rule out lung disease as a cause for any breathing-related issues you may be experiencing.
Doctors will also order breathing tests if you are taking any medications or undergoing treatments that can change how your lungs function, to monitor any possible side effects.
PFTs are included as part of any cardiopulmonary work-up to assess your lung health.
It can take up to 5 business days for our respirologists to interpret your test results and relay the information back to your family doctor.
If you require a copy of your report immediately, please inform your Respiratory Therapist and a preliminary copy can be provided. Please note this report is not considered diagnostic until the interpretation is completed.
A Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) will guide you through a series of breathing exercises to measure different aspects of your lung function.
Each test will be repeated several times to ensure accuracy and precision.
Depending on the tests your family doctor has ordered, you may be asked to take breathing medications during the test to assess how your lungs respond.
Due to the strenuous nature of breathing tests, please inform a member of the team of any prior surgeries, eye procedures, or any major medical events within the last 3 months. Testing cannot be done if you are still recovering.
If you are taking any inhalers or medications that will affect your breathing, please inform a member of the team who can advise you if you need to withhold them prior to your appointment. Bringing a list of any breathing or heart medications you are currently taking would be greatly appreciated.
Please refrain from eating large meals within 1 hour of your test, due to pressures that may be generated in the abdomen as a result of the breathing maneuvers you will be asked to perform.
If you currently smoke or vape, please refrain from doing so within 1 hour of your test.
Respirology Assessments
Consultations with experienced Respirologists are provided to review diagnostic test results and develop personalized treatment plans for various lung conditions. Whether you need guidance on managing asthma, COPD, interstitial lung disease, or other respiratory issues, our integrated services and specialists will ensure you can rely on us for a comprehensive approach to managing and improving your cardiopulmonary health.
Pulse Oximetry
Pulse oximetry is a measure of how much blood in the body is saturated with oxygen. Ideally more than 90% of red blood cells should be carrying oxygen at any given moment. This test involves placing the finger into a clip-like sensor that will calculate oxygen levels from the amount of light that is absorbed by the blood. Low levels can be a sign the body is having difficulties transferring oxygen from the lungs to other organs in the body. This is likely as a result of lung or heart disease. The device can also measure heart rate.
Diffusion Capacity Testing
Diffusion capacity testing is used to determine if the blood is able to absorb a sufficient amount of oxygen from the lungs to deliver it to the rest of the body. In this test, a person will inhale enough test gas to fill their lungs as much as possible, and hold their breath for 10 seconds. After the breath-hold, rapid exhalation is performed and the amount of test gas that was absorbed by the body is calculated and correlated to oxygen uptake ability. This test allows physicians to determine if low oxygen levels are caused by abnormal gas exchange between the blood and the lungs, usually as a result of lung scarring, issues with blood vessels surrounding the lungs, or heart disease.
Maximal Pressure Measurements (MIPs/MEPs)
MIPs and MEPs are tests used to measure respiratory muscle strength. These entail forcibly inhaling or exhaling against a blocked mouthpiece for a few seconds, which then measures the pressures generated by the functioning airway muscles. Abnormally low pressures are indicative of weak muscles, which can be caused by neuromuscular disease.
Methacholine Challenge
Designed to test airway reactivity, the Methacholine Challenge involves repeatedly inhaling small doses of a lung irritant and subsequently performing spirometry maneuvers to measure lung function. The irritant dose will be increased with each time the test is repeated. Testing is terminated once a person has inhaled the maximum amount of irritant allowed, or lung function has decreased by a considerable margin and it would be unsafe to continue. Following the end of the test, medication is given to ensure lung function has returned to what it was originally. This test is useful in determining if reactive airway disease is present, as those who have it will typically react to the irritant at very low doses. Those with normal lung function tend to experience little to no response to the irritant.
Lung Volume Measurement (Plethysmography)
To determine the total lung capacity of a person, including any air left in the lungs after a complete exhalation, a plethysmography test is required. This involves having a person in a sealed chamber performing 2 maneuvers within 1 test. The first maneuver will have the person panting quickly against a blocked mouthpiece for a few seconds. The second maneuver will immediately follow the first, and will be a slow inhale to fill up the lungs completely with a slow exhale afterwards until the lungs are emptied as much as possible. Plethysmography enables physicians to determine if suboptimal lung function is due to abnormal lung size, and if air trapping or lung collapse is potentially present.
How long does a test take?
Your appointment will be scheduled between 30-45 minutes.
Please plan to be in the clinic for up to 1 hour.
-
No short-acting bronchodilator (Ventolin, Bricany, Atrovent, etc.) within 4 hours of your appointment.
-
No long-acting bronchodilator or inhaled corticosteroids (Symbicort, Advair, Spiriva, Breo, Trelegy etc.) within 24 hours of your appointment.
Please refrain from taking any medications that may impair your judgement and affect your ability to follow instructions during your appointment.
Please note if you are booked for a standard PFT, use of medications too close to your appointment time will not necessarily result in your test being cancelled. Inform your Respiratory Therapist of when your inhalers were last taken.
-
If you are booked for a methacholine challenge, use of any inhaler within the timeframes specified above will result in your appointment being cancelled and your test rebooked.
-
Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) are a powerful diagnostic tool which help doctors confirm or rule out lung disease as a cause for any breathing-related issues you may be experiencing.
Doctors will also order breathing tests if you are taking any medications or undergoing treatments that can change how your lungs function to monitor any possible side effects.
PFTs are included as part of any cardiopulmonary work-up to assess your lung health.
It can take up to 5 business days for our respirologists to interpret your test results and relay the information back to your family doctor.
If you require a copy of your report immediately, please inform your Respiratory Therapist and a preliminary copy can be provided. Please note this report is not considered diagnostic until the interpretation is completed.
A Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) will guide you through a series of breathing exercises to measure different aspects of your lung function.
Each test will be repeated several times to ensure accuracy and precision.
Depending on the tests your family doctor has ordered, you may be asked to take breathing medications during the test to assess how your lungs respond.
Due to the strenuous nature of breathing tests, please inform a member of the team of any prior surgeries, eye procedures, or any major medical events within the last 3 months. Testing cannot be done if you are still recovering.
If you are taking any inhalers or medications that will affect your breathing, please inform a member of the team who can advise you if you need to withhold them prior to your appointment. Bringing a list of any breathing or heart medications you are currently taking would be greatly appreciated.
Please refrain from eating large meals within 1 hour of your test, due to pressures that may be generated in the abdomen as a result of the breathing maneuvers you will be asked to perform.
If you currently smoke or vape, please refrain from doing so within 1 hour of your test.
Respirology Assessments
Consultations with experienced Respirologists are provided to review diagnostic test results and develop personalized treatment plans for various lung conditions. Whether you need guidance on managing asthma, COPD, interstitial lung disease, or other respiratory issues, our integrated services and specialists will ensure you can rely on us for a comprehensive approach to managing and improving your cardiopulmonary health.
Spirometry
This test measures how quickly a person can expel all the air from their lungs in relation to the total amount of air they are able to take in. It requires that the lungs be filled to maximum capacity and then forced out as fast as possible. After forcibly exhaling, the person performing the maneuver will then be asked to continue exhaling until every bit of air has been emptied from the lungs. Although strenuous, this provides valuable data with regards to determining lung size and causes for sub-optimal lung function.
Pulse Oximetry
Pulse oximetry is a measure of how much blood in the body is saturated with oxygen. Ideally more than 90% of red blood cells should be carrying oxygen at any given moment. This test involves placing the finger into a clip-like sensor that will calculate oxygen levels from the amount of light that is absorbed by the blood. Low levels can be a sign the body is having difficulties transferring oxygen from the lungs to other organs in the body. This is likely as a result of lung or heart disease. The device can also measure heart rate.
Diffusion Capacity Testing
Diffusion capacity testing is used to determine if the blood is able to absorb a sufficient amount of oxygen from the lungs to deliver it to the rest of the body. In this test, a person will inhale enough test gas to fill their lungs as much as possible, and hold their breath for 10 seconds. After the breath-hold, rapid exhalation is performed and the amount of test gas that was absorbed by the body is calculated and correlated to oxygen uptake ability. This test allows physicians to determine if low oxygen levels are caused by abnormal gas exchange between the blood and the lungs, usually as a result of lung scarring, issues with blood vessels surrounding the lungs, or heart disease.
Lung Volume Measurement (Plethysmography)
To determine the total lung capacity of a person, including any air left in the lungs after a complete exhalation, a plethysmography test is required. This involves having a person in a sealed chamber performing 2 maneuvers within 1 test. The first maneuver will have the person panting quickly against a blocked mouthpiece for a few seconds. The second maneuver will immediately follow the first, and will be a slow inhale to fill up the lungs completely with a slow exhale afterwards until the lungs are emptied as much as possible. Plethysmography enables physicians to determine if suboptimal lung function is due to abnormal lung size, and if air trapping or lung collapse is potentially present.
Methacholine Challenge
Designed to test airway reactivity, the Methacholine Challenge involves repeatedly inhaling small doses of a lung irritant and subsequently performing spirometry maneuvers to measure lung function. The irritant dose will be increased with each time the test is repeated. Testing is terminated once a person has inhaled the maximum amount of irritant allowed, or lung function has decreased by a considerable margin and it would be unsafe to continue. Following the end of the test, medication is given to ensure lung function has returned to what it was originally. This test is useful in determining if reactive airway disease is present, as those who have it will typically react to the irritant at very low doses. Those with normal lung function tend to experience little to no response to the irritant.
Maximal Pressure Measurements (MIPs/MEPs)
MIPs and MEPs are tests used to measure respiratory muscle strength. These entail forcibly inhaling or exhaling against a blocked mouthpiece for a few seconds, which then measures the pressures generated by the functioning airway muscles. Abnormally low pressures are indicative of weak muscles, which can be caused by neuromuscular disease.
Pulmonary Function
Testing (Adult & Pediatric)
A Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) is a series of breathing exercises designed to briefly challenge your lungs and assess its abilities. Each test measures a specific aspect of your lung function, including size of the lungs, how much air volume can be held, airway muscle strength, gas exchange capabilities, reactiveness to environmental irritants, and response to inhaled medications. We provide testing for both adults and pediatrics (6 years and older).
Spirometry
This test measures how quickly a person can expel all the air from their lungs in relation to the total amount of air they are able to take in. It requires that the lungs be filled to maximum capacity and then forced out as fast as possible. After forcibly exhaling, the person performing the maneuver will then be asked to continue exhaling until every bit of air has been emptied from the lungs. Although strenuous, this provides valuable data with regards to determining lung size and causes for sub-optimal lung function.