Optimization of sampling parameters for collection and preconcentration of alveolar air by needle traps

The approach for breath-VOCs' collection and preconcentration by applying needle traps was developed and optimized. The alveolar air was collected from only a few exhalations under visual control of expired CO(2) into a large gas-tight glass syringe and then warmed up to 45 °C for a short time to avoid condensation. Subsequently, a specially constructed sampling device equipped with Bronkhorst® electronic flow controllers was used for automated adsorption. This sampling device allows time-saving collection of expired/inspired air in parallel onto three different needle traps as well as improvement of sensitivity and reproducibility of NT-GC-MS analysis by collection of relatively large (up to 150 ml) volume of exhaled breath. It was shown that the collection of alveolar air derived from only a few exhalations into a large syringe followed by automated adsorption on needle traps yields better results than manual sorption by up/down cycles with a 1 ml syringe, mostly due to avoided condensation and electronically controlled stable sample flow rate. The optimal profile and composition of needle traps consists of 2 cm Carbopack X and 1 cm Carboxen 1000, allowing highly efficient VOCs' enrichment, while injection by a fast expansive flow technique requires no modifications in instrumentation and fully automated GC-MS analysis can be performed with a commercially available autosampler. This optimized analytical procedure considerably facilitates the collection and enrichment of alveolar air, and is therefore suitable for application at the bedside of critically ill patients in an intensive care unit. Due to its simplicity it can replace the time-consuming sampling of sufficient breath volume by numerous up/down cycles with a 1 ml syringe.