A team of scientists from Zhejiang University in China has developed a portable E-Nose prototype for non-invasive breath analysis to detect volatile compounds in exhaled breath that could indicate respiratory diseases. The device consists of a gas storage unit for collecting breath samples, a gas detection unit with a micro-pump, a graphene-based gas sensor array, and an analogue-to-digital converter that outputs digital signals. The E-Nose aims to provide a non-invasive and convenient way for personalized real-time daily health management, eliminating the need for visits to medical professionals and facilitating better personalized health management. The device could revolutionize respiratory disease detection, including lung cancer, COPD, and asthma, among others.
The detection and diagnosis of respiratory diseases have become critical global concerns since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to an article in the World Health Organisation (WHO), COVID-19 has caused around 6.7 million confirmed deaths as of January 2023. In addition to COVID-19, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and asthma are leading causes of death worldwide, incurring significant expenses for healthcare systems. Traditional detection and monitoring methods for respiratory illness, such as physical examination, blood gas analysis, lung imaging, bronchoscopy, and laboratory examinations, require visiting a hospital and can be invasive or intrusive.
However, exhaled breath contains markers that indicate disease, making breath testing a potentially non-invasive, convenient, and effective test for a range of respiratory conditions. Conducting breath testing on the go can eliminate the need for visits to medical professionals, facilitating better personalized health management.
In a recent paper published in Advanced Sensor Research, a team of scientists, including Qiaofen Chen from the Lab of Nanomedicine and Omic-Based Diagnosis in the Department of Chemistry at Zhejiang University, China, presents a mobile E-Nose prototype for detecting volatile compounds in exhaled breath. The device is designed to be portable and easy to use, providing a non-invasive and convenient way for personalized real-time daily health management.
The E-Nose prototype consists of three main components. Firstly, the E-Nose has a gas storage unit for collecting breath samples. The next major component is a gas detection unit, which includes a micro-pump for gas delivery, a graphene-based gas sensor array capable of detecting and cross-reacting with a wide variety of volatile compounds, and an analogue-to-digital converter that outputs digital signals. The third major component is a microcontroller for signal processing and display.
The E-Nose prototype’s graphene-based gas sensor array can detect a wide variety of volatile compounds, including carbon dioxide, ammonia, acetone, and ethanol, which are potential biomarkers for respiratory diseases such as lung cancer, COPD, and asthma. The E-Nose prototype’s sensitivity and selectivity make it a promising tool for non-invasive breath analysis, offering a convenient and effective way to monitor respiratory health in real-time.
The E-Nose prototype’s portability and ease of use make it a valuable tool for personalized health management, especially in remote or re-limited areas where access to traditional healthcare services is limited. The E-Nose prototype’s potential to detect respiratory diseases non-invasively could revolutionize respiratory disease detection and diagnosis, offering a convenient and effective way to monitor respiratory health in real-time.
In the short term, the development of a portable E-Nose prototype for non-invasive breath analysis is a significant breakthrough in respiratory disease detection and diagnosis. The E-Nose prototype’s sensitivity and selectivity make it a promising tool for non-invasive breath analysis, offering a convenient and effective way to monitor respiratory health in real-time. The E-Nose prototype’s portability and ease of use make it a valuable tool for personalized health management, especially in remote or re-limited areas. The E-Nose prototype’s potential to detect respiratory diseases non-invasively could revolutionize respiratory disease detection and diagnosis, offering a convenient and effective way to monitor respiratory health in real-time.
Source: Advanced Science News
