Our History 1980 – 1999

1980

Birth of the PC Spirometer.

The Vitalograph traditional spirometer was awarded a GS (safety) award from the TÜV in Germany. This involved the development of a ‘safety mouthpiece’, which became the patented and very successful ‘SafeTway’ mouthpiece.

This year also saw of the birth of PC spirometry, and Vitalograph Spirotrac Software.

1982

Electronic spirometers come to market.

The recognition that a full electronic spirometer was required to compete with Japanese competition led to the commencement of a project to develop the Vitalograph COMPACT. After extensive research into the ‘best’ flow measuring technology for physiological breath measurements, the Fleisch technology was chosen for its accuracy and robustness.

1984

The ATS publishes ‘Standardization of Spirometry’.

Vitalograph launches the 1-L Precision Syringe to allow simple daily accuracy checks as recommended by the new ATS guidelines on spirometry. Vitalograph was among other experts from the industry actively involved with the creation of these early guidelines.

1985

Vitalograph Emergency Aspirator wins Design Council Award.

This was a champagne year for Vitalograph, starting with a Design Council Award for the highly successful Emergency Aspirator presented to Vitalograph by Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh in London. 1985 also saw the creation of the holding company Vitalograph Medical Instrumentation Ltd in Ireland and the opening of a significant new factory extension in Ennis.

1986

Vitalograph COMPACT wins Design Council Award.

This year saw the formation of Vitalograph Inc. when Bernard took his family to live in Kansas City for two years to develop this important market for Vitalograph. The Vitalograph COMPACT won both a Design Council Award, and a gold medal for design from the Leipzig Messe in the DDR (pre-unification East Germany).

1988

Vitalograph Silver Jubilee.

In 1988 Vitalograph celebrated its Silver Jubilee. The climax of the celebrations was a dinner party in Althorp House, home of the Spencer family, with our international distributors. Princess Diana, patron of the British Lung Foundation, was photographed being tested with a Vitalograph spirometer at Brompton Hospital.

1992

Spirotrac III is launched on a PC.

The Vitalograph Escort spirometer is launched this year as well as the Spirotrac III on IBM PCs with DOS OS and Windows 3.1. The ALPHA desktop spirometer, launched two years earlier with a Lilly flowhead, gains inspiratory measurement capability with a Fleisch flowhead. This device was hugely successful in Germany for the newly formed Vitalograph GmbH.

1996

Launch of the successful 2120.

The successful Vitalograph 2120 hand held spirometer is launched, as well as the Vitalograph Bacterial Viral Filter (BVF). This innovative consumable improved bacterial/viral efficiency from 50% to over 99%.

1998

Development of the TUT, the first low cost inhaler trainer.

A new bespoke inhaler trainer device, was developed using an ASIC and mobile phone microphone technology developed by the pharmaceutical company sponsor.

1999

The launch of the successful PEF/FEV Diary and Vitalograph micro.

The Vitalograph micro and PEF/FEV Diary is launched. The purpose of the Diary was to give Vitalograph an entry into electronic diaries for clinical trials and was hugely successful, with tens of thousands being used in clinical trials