Breath
The concept that breath contains molecules that originated from normal or abnormal physiology has its origins in the writings of Hippocrates, the father of medicine. Moreover, the detection of the presence of water vapor in breath has been used as a non-invasive monitor of mortality for thousands of years. Additionally, distinctive breath odours have been used for centuries as indicators of “evil humours” that are now diagnosed as uncontrolled diabetes, liver disease, renal disease, bacterial infection, or dental disease. Lavoisier reported the first quantitative analysis of carbon dioxide in 1784 and demonstrated conclusively that this breath compound was a product of normal respiration. In the interim there were a number of reports of breath analysis for molecules such as ethanol. The earliest publications of modern day breath analysis appeared in the late 1960s and early 1970s, which was the time of nascence for modern analytical chemistry. Researchers such as Pauling, Larsson, Chen, Cohen, and Phillips reported some of these pioneering studies. Many of these studies were only possible as a result of enhanced separation of gaseous molecules by gas chromatography, increased selectivity of mass or optical spectrometers and improved limits of detection from high parts-per-million to parts-per-billion.
In the last decades the developments of everyday more sensitive measurements techniques allowed scientists to identify more than 500 different markers in breath. Some of these molecules can be used as potential novel biomarkers for clinical purpose, disease state monitoring or environmental exposure assessment. The only requirement to collect a breath sample is that the subject must be breathing (spontaneously or mechanically supported). Breath can also be collected multiple times without significant risk to the patient. Moreover, collecting breath samples poses minimum risk to the person that collects the breath sample.
However, the use of breath as a collectable sample has not received comparable clinical use as for blood, urine or other body fluids. From a technical point of view, the lack of established sampling and measurement procedures for the analysis of volatile compounds at a trace level plays a key role. An inadequate attention to sample breath in a not standardized way increases variability, alters multivariate data patterns and hinders the comparison of results obtained by different research groups. Standard protocols and devices to develop such protocols must be realized to coordinate the scientific community.
care Breath Analysis Sampler
To overcome these difficulties Loccioni humancare with Professor Terence Risby from the Bloomberg School of Public Health, The Johns Hopkins University, had developed novel sampling devices that help researchers to exactly know how and what they are sampling, making breath analysis easy and reliable. There are two directions for future studies in clinical breath analysis: profiling molecules in breath, development of hand held real-time breath monitors for specific molecules. For each of these area Loccioni humancare developed a dedicated version of sampling device: - Single breath version developed to characterize a single breathing act and to be integrated with real time monitor allowing to capture the signal from an external sensor for easy and fast data collection. - Multiple breath version developed to allow breathing in a regular way and sample multiple breathing acts. Breath can be sample in desorption tubes or bags and analyzed with standard methods. Parameters can be changed to select the portion on interest in breath depending from the studies performed.
Breath Sampler is designed to be easily coupled with most diffused sensor technologies for gas analysis. Single Breath Sampler is expressly designed for connection with real time monitors (mass spectrometry, tunable diode laser analysers, photo-acoustic laser spectrometers, etc.), while Multiple Breath Sampler is designed for off-line gas analysis (gas cromatography, mass spectrometry, etc.).
The Breath Analysis Sampler design was studied by Isao Hosoe Studio. It is thea result of the better combination between technical, ergonomic and style factors.
Lab@JHU | Johns Hopkins University – Baltimore St. Lukas Hospital Bethlehem – Pennsilvania Draper Laboratory – Boston Brigham & Women’s Hospital – Boston South West Sciences – New Mexico
