Development of a Sensing Array for Human Breath Analysis Based on SWCNT Layers Functionalized with Semiconductor...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Breathomics offers a non-invasive method for disease diagnosis by analyzing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath.
• Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) based sensors show promise for detecting low concentrations of specific gases relevant to health conditions.
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) diagnosis currently relies on methods that can be invasive or time-consuming.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a sensor array for breathomics applications.
• To assess the array's ability to detect disease-relevant gases and profile human breath.
• To demonstrate the potential of SWCNT-based sensors for diagnosing COPD non-invasively.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a sensor array utilizing heterojunctions between semiconducting organic layers and SWCNT films.
• Exposure of the sensor array to a panel of disease-relevant gases (e.g., ammonia, acetone, nitrogen dioxide).
• Testing the sensor array with exhaled breath from healthy subjects and patients with COPD.
• Analysis of sensor data using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to identify distinct breathprints.

Main Results:

• The sensor array successfully detected various target gases, producing unique fingerprints.
• The array demonstrated suitability for breath profiling in exhaled human breath.
• Sensor data allowed for the differentiation between subjects with COPD and healthy subjects based on their breathprints.
• Optimizing sensor selection for nitrogen dioxide enhanced COPD classification accuracy.

Conclusions:

• The developed SWCNT-based sensor array is a viable tool for breathomics and non-invasive disease diagnostics.
• The sensor array can distinguish COPD patients from healthy individuals by analyzing exhaled breath.
• Nitrogen dioxide emerges as a key biomarker for COPD detection using this sensor technology.