Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 27, 2026

Quantitative Analysis of Vacuum Induction Melting by Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
Published on: June 10, 2019
Study of the exhaled acetone in type 1 diabetes using quantum cascade laser spectroscopy
Adonis Reyes-Reyes1, Roland C Horsten, H Paul Urbach
1Optics Research Group, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology , Lorentzweg 1, 2628 CJ Delft, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
The acetone concentration exhaled in the breath of three type 1 diabetes patients (two minors and one adult) and one healthy volunteer is studied using a quantum cascade laser-based spectroscopic system. Using the acetone signature between 1150 and 1250 cm(-1) and a multiline fitting method, the concentration variations on the order of parts per billion by volume were measured. Blood glucose and ketone concentrations in blood measurements were performed simultaneously to study their relation with acetone in exhaled breath. We focus on personalized studies to better understand the role of acetone in diabetes. For each volunteer, we performed a series of measurements over a period of time, including overnight fastings of 11 ± 1 h and during ketosis-hyperglycemia events for the minors. Our results highlight the importance of performing personalized studies because the response of the minors to the presence of ketosis was consistent but unique for each individual. Also, our results emphasize the need for performing more studies with T1D minors, because the acetone concentration in the breath of the minors differs, with respect to those reported in the literature, which are based on adults.
Related Concept Videos
NMR Spectroscopy and Mass Spectrometry of Aldehydes and Ketones
IR and UV–Vis Spectroscopy of Aldehydes and Ketones
Flame Photometry: Lab

