BREATHELISA: BREATH ANALYSIS FOR DETECTION OF DISEASE
Abstract
The exhaled breath is a rich source of information about the inner health of the human body; however, untangling this complex molecular mixture and relating its composition to health status is an opportunity that is yet to reach its full potential. With every breath we expel around 2000 different molecules (Volatile Organic Compounds-VOCs) giving each individual a “breath-print”. This breath-print can identify an individual, or deliver insight into their state of health or disease. Breath analysis is rapidly evolving as the new frontier in medical testing. Thanks to novel technologies (infrared, electrochemical, chemi-luminescence, and others) as well as the broader availability of lower-cost mass spectrometers, the field of breath analysis has recently made considerable advances. Several methods are now in clinical use or nearly ready to enter that arena. We have developed a novel diagnostic tool, based around an optical frequency comb, that can analyse complex mixtures of molecular gases by measuring optical absorption over large swathes of the optical spectrum. This project will develop our frequency comb spectrometer to the point where it can measure exhaled breath samples. In parallel, we will undertake breath analysis using the gold-standard conventional tool, and develop the methodology to connect the output of the analytic tools to disease states. As an initial demonstration, we will investigate the well-defined problem of dyspnoea. Dyspnoea (shortness of breath) is a common symptom in medical practice, associated with either heart or lung conditions, that occurs in around half of patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital. The eventual goal for the project is to develop a deployable tool that can rapidly identify the origin of dyspnoea (either heart or lung) for the clinician.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 11, 2021
- Source ID
- FA23862014047
Entities
People
- Andre Luiten
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University of Adelaide