Peak inspiratory flow rate in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Implications for dry powder inhalers

This review examined the physiology and clinical correlations of PIF rate in patients with COPD, including examining studies of PIF rate in patients treated with medications delivered via DPI. Use of the Vitalograph AIM for assessing a user’s inhalation rate, inhalation time, and breath-hold time using a DPI or MDI simulator was briefly examined. The authors described the device as "a battery-powered patient training device" that, after each inhalation, "reports if the measured ... variables are either optimal or suboptimal".