Trace level detection of analytes using artificial olfactometry

• US 20010041366A1
• Filed: 05/14/2001
• Published: 11/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smiths Detection - Pasadena Inc. (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smiths Detection - Pasadena Inc. (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lewis, Nathan, Severin, Erik, Kelso, David, Wong, Bernard, Munoz, Beth
• Granted Patent: US 6,841,391 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 436/151
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/082 Evaluation by breath analysis, e.g. determination of the chemical composition of exhaled breath A61B5/083, A61B5/091 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4547 Evaluating teeth
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/22 in the gaseous state specially adapted for biological material G01N33/497; measuring breath flow A61B5/087
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/405 by adsorption or absorption
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0031 comprising two or more sensors, e.g. a sensor array
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0034 comprising neural networks or related mathematical techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0044 Sulphides, e.g. H2S
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/497 of gaseous biological material, e.g. breath
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/90 Breath testing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/879 Material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/143333 Saccharide [e.g., DNA, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/17 Nitrogen containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/200833 Carbonyl, ether, aldehyde or ketone containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/212 Aromatic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/214 Acyclic [e.g., methane, octane, isoparaffin, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/216 Unsaturated [e.g., ethylene, diene, etc.]

Abstract

The present invention provides methods for detecting the presence of an analyte indicative of various medical conditions, including halitosis, periodontal disease and other diseases are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for detecting halitosis, said method comprising:

contacting an array of sensors with mammalian breath suspected of containing a marker gas indicative of halitosis; and

detecting said marker gas to determine the presence of halitosis.

2. A method in accordance with

claim 1

, wherein said array of sensors comprises a member selected from the group consisting of a surface acoustic wave sensor, a quartz microbalance sensor;

a conductive composite;

a chemiresistor;

a metal oxide gas sensor and a conducting polymer sensor, a dye-impregnated polymer film on fiber optic detector, a polymer-coated micromirror, an electrochemical gas detector, a chemically sensitive field-effect transistor, a carbon black-polymer composite, a micro-electro-mechanical system device and a micro-opto-electro-mechanical system device.

3. A method in accordance with

claim 1

, wherein said marker gas is a member selected from the group consisting of alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, dienes, alicyclic hydrocarbons, arenes, alcohols, ethers, ketones, aldehydes, carbonyls, carbanions, polynuclear aromatics, biomolecules, sugars, isoprenes isoprenoids, VOC, VOA, indoles, skatoles, diamines, pyridines, picolines, an off-gas of a microorganism and fatty acids.

4. A method in accordance with

claim 1

, further comprising generating a response from said sensors and inputting said response to a neural net trained against known marker gases.

5. A method in accordance with

claim 1

, wherein said marker gas is an off gas of a member selected from the group consisting of Prevotella intermedia, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Porphyromonas endodontalis, Prevotella loescheii, Hemophilus parainfluenzae, Stomatococcus muci, Treponema denticola, Veillonella species, Peptostreptococcus anaerobius, Micros prevotii, Eubacterium limosum, Centipeda periodontii, Selemonad aremidis, Eubacterium species, Bacteriodes species, Fusobacterium periodonticum, Prevotella melaninogenica, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, Citrobacter species and Stomatococcus mucilaginus.

6. A method for detecting periodontal disease, said method comprising:

contacting an array of sensors with mammalian breath suspected of containing a marker gas indicative of periodontal disease; and

detecting said marker gas to determine the presence of periodontal disease.

7. A method in accordance with

claim 6

, wherein said array of sensors comprises a member selected form the group consisting of a surface acoustic wave sensor, a quartz microbalance sensor;

a conductive composite;

a chemiresistor;

a metal oxide gas sensor and a conducting polymer sensor, a dye-impregnated polymer film on fiber optic detector, a polymer-coated micromirror, an electrochemical gas detector, a chemically sensitive field-effect transistor, a carbon black-polymer composite, a micro-electro-mechanical system device and a micro-opto-electro-mechanical system device.

8. A method in accordance with

claim 6

, wherein said marker gas is a member selected from the group consisting of alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, dienes, alicyclic hydrocarbons, arenes, alcohols, ethers, ketones, aldehydes, carbonyls, carbanions, polynuclear aromatics, biomolecules, sugars, isoprenes isoprenoids, VOC, VOA, indoles, skatoles, diamines, pyridines, picolines, an off-gas of a microorganism and fatty acids.

9. A method in accordance with

claim 6

, further comprising generating a response from said sensors and inputting said response to a neural net trained against known marker gases.

10. A method for detecting pneumonia, said method comprising:

contacting an array of sensors with mammalian breath suspected of containing a marker gas indicative of pneumonia; and

detecting said marker gases to determine the presence of pneumonia.

11. A method in accordance with

claim 10

, wherein said array of sensors comprises a member selected from the group consisting of a surface acoustic wave sensor, a quartz microbalance sensor;

a conductive composite;

a chemiresistor;

a metal oxide gas sensor and a conducting polymer sensor, a dye-impregnated polymer film on fiber optic detector, a polymer-coated micromirror, an electrochemical gas detector, a chemically sensitive field-effect transistor, a carbon black-polymer composite, a micro-electro-mechanical system device and a micro-opto-electro-mechanical system device.

12. A method in accordance with

claim 10

, wherein said marker gas is a member selected from the group consisting of alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, dienes, alicyclic hydrocarbons, arenes, alcohols, ethers, ketones, aldehydes, carbonyls, carbanions, polynuclear aromatics, biomolecules, sugars, isoprenes isoprenoids, VOC, VOA, indoles, skatoles, diamines, pyridines, picolines, an off-gas of a microorganism and fatty acids.

13. A method in accordance with

claim 10

, further comprising generating a response from said sensors and inputting said response to a neural net trained against known marker gases.

14. A method for detecting vaginitis, said method comprising:

contacting an array of sensors with vaginal vapor suspected of containing a marker gas indicative of vaginitis; and

detecting said marker gas to determine the presence of vaginitis.

15. A method in accordance with

claim 14

, wherein said array of sensors comprises a member selected form the group consisting of a surface acoustic wave sensor, a quartz microbalance sensor;

a conductive composite;

a chemiresistor;

a metal oxide gas sensor and a conducting polymer sensor, a dye-impregnated polymer film on fiber optic detector, a polymer-coated micromirror, an electrochemical gas detector, a chemically sensitive field-effect transistor, a carbon black-polymer composite, a micro-electro-mechanical system device and a micro-opto-electro-mechanical system device.

16. A method in accordance with

claim 14

, wherein said marker gas is a member selected from the group consisting of alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, dienes, alicyclic hydrocarbons, arenes, alcohols, ethers, ketones, aldehydes, carbonyls, carbanions, polynuclear aromatics, biomolecules, sugars, isoprenes isoprenoids, VOC, VOA, indoles, skatoles, diamines, pyridines, picolines, an off-gas of a microorganism, methylamine, isobutylamine, putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, tyramine, phenethylamine and fatty acids.

17. A method in accordance with

claim 14

, further comprising generating a response from said sensors and inputting said response to a neural net trained against known marker gases.

18. A method for detecting ovulation, said method comprising:

contacting an array of sensors with vaginal vapor suspected of containing a marker gas indicative of ovulation; and

detecting said marker gas to determine ovulation.

19. A method in accordance with

claim 18

, wherein said array of sensors comprises a member selected from the group consisting of a surface acoustic wave sensor, a quartz microbalance sensor;

a conductive composite;

a chemiresistor;

a metal oxide gas sensor and a conducting polymer sensor, a dye-impregnated polymer film on fiber optic detector, a polymer-coated micromirror, an electrochemical gas detector, a chemically sensitive field-effect transistor, a carbon black-polymer composite, a micro-electro-mechanical system device and a micro-opto-electro-mechanical system device.

20. A method in accordance with

claim 18

, wherein said marker gas is a member selected from the group consisting of alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, dienes, alicyclic hydrocarbons, arenes, alcohols, ethers, ketones, aldehydes, carbonyls, carbanions, polynuclear aromatics, biomolecules, sugars, isoprenes isoprenoids, VOC, VOA, indoles, skatoles, diamines, pyridines, picolines, an off-gas of a microorganism, androstenol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and fatty acids.

21. A method in accordance with

claim 18

, further comprising generating a response from said sensors and inputting said response to a neural net trained against known marker gases.

22. A method for detecting a medical condition, said method comprising:

contacting an array of sensors with mammalian body fluid suspected of containing a marker gas indicative of said medical condition; and

detecting said marker gas to determine the presence of the medical condition.

23. A method in accordance with

claim 22

, wherein said array of sensors comprises a member selected from the group consisting of a surface acoustic wave sensor, a quartz microbalance sensor;

a conductive composite;

a chemiresistor;

a metal oxide gas sensor and a conducting polymer sensor, a dye-impregnated polymer film on fiber optic detector, a polymer-coated micromirror, an electrochemical gas detector, a chemically sensitive field-effect transistor, a carbon black-polymer composite, a micro-electro-mechanical system device and a micro-opto-electro-mechanical system device.