Breath analysis for disease diagnosis

 

113087
   
Technology Overview

Drs. Anastasios Angelopoulos and Jonathan A. Bernstein have developed a new optical sensor that could enable nearly instantaneous chemical measurement of human breath. The tool is simple and non-invasive, which could make it easier to monitor and diagnose diseases in the future. The new technology solves these problems by using a polymeric acid membrane catalyst that is immobilized with an organic acid and an organic reagent. The organic acid enhances the catalytic activity of the membrane in humid environments, while the organic reagent reacts with acetone to produce a color change that can be detected by an optical sensor. The membrane catalyst is water and salt resistant, which means it can maintain its performance even in high humidity and salinity conditions.

Background

Early diagnosis of disease can increase the chance for successful treatment. Acetone is a biomarker of diabetes that can be found in the exhaled breath of patients. Measuring acetone levels can help diagnose and monitor diabetes, as well as prevent complications such as ketoacidosis. However, existing methods for detecting acetone are either invasive, expensive, or unreliable. Moreover, they are sensitive to humidity and salt interference, which can affect the accuracy and stability of the measurements.

This technology has potential applications in medical devices for diabetes diagnosis and management, as well as environmental monitoring and industrial process control. It offers advantages over existing methods such as simplicity, low cost, high sensitivity, selectivity, stability, and portability.

Advantages and Benefits
  • Non-Invasive and Instantaneous Measurement
  • Water and Salt Resistant Membrane Catalyst
  • Enhanced Catalytic Activity in Humid Environments
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Patents
Title Country Serial No. Patent No. File Date Issued Date
Water and Salt Resistant Solid Super-Acid Catalysts United States 15/021,308 11,478,164 9/11/2014 10/25/2022
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