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Hand-Held Volatilome Analyzer Based on Elastically Deformable Nanofibers
Muge Yucel1, Osman Akin2, Mehmet Cayoren3
1Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering , Izmir Institute of Technology , Izmir 35430 , Turkey.
Analytical Chemistry
|March 21, 2018
Summary
A new hand-held analyzer detects diabetes and lung cancer biomarkers in breath. Using polymer-nanotube sensors, it offers rapid, point-of-care diagnosis for high-risk individuals.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Analytical Chemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Exhaled breath contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that serve as biomarkers for various diseases.
- Current diagnostic methods can be invasive, time-consuming, or require specialized laboratory settings.
- Developing rapid, non-invasive diagnostic tools for point-of-care use is a significant clinical need.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a hand-held volatilome analyzer for the selective detection of key biomarkers in exhaled breath.
- To assess the potential of the analyzer for early diagnosis of conditions like diabetes and lung cancer.
- To establish a rapid, non-invasive method for point-of-care diagnostics.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of sensing microchannels using electrospun polymer nanofibers (PVDF, PS, PMMA) incorporated with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs).
- Integration of sensing microchannels into a microfluidic cartridge (μ-card) for breath sample collection and concentration.
- Development of a conductivity monitoring unit and a combinatorial algorithm to analyze resistivity changes in response to target volatilomes (acetone and toluene).
Main Results:
- The developed sensing microchannels (P1, P2, P3) demonstrated stable responses to humidity and CO2, with selective detection of acetone and toluene.
- The analyzer successfully correlated acetone levels with diabetes risk groups and toluene levels with potential lung cancer indicators.
- The system operated within specified concentration ranges for acetone (35 ppb–3.0 ppm) and toluene (1 ppb–10 ppm).
Conclusions:
- The hand-held volatilome analyzer offers a promising approach for the selective and rapid detection of exhaled breath biomarkers.
- This technology enables non-invasive, point-of-care diagnosis, particularly beneficial for high-risk individuals.
- The methodology provides a foundation for developing advanced breath analysis tools for early disease detection.
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