Methods of collecting and analyzing human breath

• US 20050065446A1
• Filed: 01/29/2003
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nanotherapeutics, Inc. (National Resilience, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nanotherapeutics, Inc. (National Resilience, Inc.)
• Inventors: Talton, James D
• Granted Patent: US 7,153,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/529
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/083 Measuring rate of metabolism by using breath test, e.g. measuring rate of oxygen consumption
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/097 Devices for facilitating collection of breath or for directing breath into or through measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2214 by sorption
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/2244 Exhaled gas, e.g. alcohol detecting
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/085 using absorbing precolumn
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/128 Thermal desorption analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0215 Mixtures of three or more gases, e.g. air
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0422 Shear waves, transverse waves, horizontally polarised waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0423 Surface waves, e.g. Rayleigh waves, Love waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0426 Bulk waves, e.g. quartz crystal microbalance, torsional waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/022 Fluid sensors based on microsensors, e.g. quartz crystal-microbalance [QCM], surface acoustic wave [SAW] devices, tuning forks, cantilevers, flexural plate wave [FPW] devices microdevices per se B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/497 of gaseous biological material, e.g. breath

Abstract

The present invention provides methods of collecting and detecting compounds in a human breath sample, comprising : exhaling into a handheld sample collector to absorb at least one breath compound in an exhaled breath collector of said collector; connecting the handheld sample collector to a breath analyzer; transferring the breath compounds from the exhaled breath collector of the sample collector into the breath analyzer; and detecting breath compounds using two or more sensors. The method may be performed to detect breath compounds for determining health or disease diagnosis, or for drug monitoring.

Claims

1. A method of collecting and detecting compounds in a human breath sample, comprising:

exhaling into a handheld sample collector to absorb at least one breath compound in an exhaled breath collector of said handheld sample collector;

connecting the handheld sample collector to a breath analyzer;

transferring the breath compounds from the exhaled breath collector of the sample collector into the breath analyzer; and

detecting breath compounds using two or more sensors.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed to detect breath compounds for determining health or disease diagnosis, or for drug monitoring.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the exhaling comprises multiple exhaled breaths into the exhaled breath collector of the handheld sample collector.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the exhaled breath collector contains at least one sorbent phase to absorb breath compounds.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one sorbent phase is selected from activated carbon, silica gel, activated alumina, molecular sieve carbon, molecular sieve zeolites, silicalite, AIPO4, alumina, polystyrene, and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising inhaling through an air collector in the handheld sample collector.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the inhaling through the air collector precedes the exhaling into the exhaled breath collector.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the exhaled breath bypasses the exhaled breath collector.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing the sample collector in fluid communication with a breath analyzer system, and wherein the breath analyzer separates the breath compounds using a thermal desorption column.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein detection is performed using mass spectroscopy, or electronic, optical, or acoustic vapor sensors.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said electronic, optical, or acoustic sensors comprise at least one sensor selected from the group consisting of surface acoustic wave sensors, shear horizontal wave sensors, flexural plate wave sensors, quartz microbalance sensors, conducting polymer sensors, dye-impregnated polymer film on fiber optic detectors, conductive composite sensors, chemiresistors, metal oxide gas sensors, electrochemical gas detectors, chemically sensitive field-effect transistors, and carbon black-polymer composite devices.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the sensors are removable and/or replaceable.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the breath sample comprises multiple breath compounds.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one breath compound is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, ethers, ketones, amines, aldehydes, carbonyls, carbanions, alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aromatic hydrocarbons, polynuclear aromatics, biomolecules, sugars, isoprenes, isoprenoids, VOCs, VOAs, indoles, pyridines, fatty acids, and off-gases of a microorganism.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating at least one profile from the sensor response.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the method is used to prepare a diagnostic profile of a patient.

17. A diagnostic method comprising the method of claim 1, and further comprising making a diagnosis based on the profile.

18. A method of collecting and analyzing a human breath sample, comprising:

exhaling into a handheld sample collector;

placing the handheld sample collector in fluid communication with a breath analyzer;

transferring compounds from the sample collector into the breath analyzer for separation on a thermal desorption column;

detecting compounds using two or more polymer-coated surface acoustic wave sensors;

wherein the handheld sample collector is not in fluid communication with the breath analyzer during the exhaling.

19. An apparatus for collecting and detecting compounds in a human breath sample comprising:

a handheld sample collector;

a connector for connecting the handheld sample collector in fluid communication with a breath analyzer;

a flow controller for transferring the breath compounds from the sample collector into the breath analyzer; and

two or more sensors for detection of breath compounds.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the apparatus is used to detect breath compounds for determining health or disease diagnosis, or for drug monitoring.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the handheld sample collector collects breath compounds from multiple breaths.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the handheld sample collector comprises an exhaled breath collector containing a sorbent phase to absorb breath compounds from an exhaled breath.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the sorbent phase is selected from activated carbon, silica gel, activated alumina, molecular sieve carbon, molecular sieve zeolites, silicalite, AIPO₄, alumina, polystyrene, and combinations thereof.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the apparatus further comprises an air collector for collecting compounds upon inhaling.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the breath analyzer system comprises a thermal desorption column.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the sensors comprise at least one sensor selected from the group consisting of mass spectrometers, surface acoustic wave sensors, quartz microbalance sensors, conducting polymer sensors, dye-impregnated polymer film on fiber optic detectors, conductive composite sensors, chemiresistors, metal oxide gas sensors, electrochemical gas detectors, chemically sensitive field-effect transistors, and carbon black-polymer composite devices.