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Updated: Dec 21, 2025
08:23
Real-time Breath Analysis by Using Secondary Nanoelectrospray Ionization Coupled to High Resolution Mass Spectrometry
Published on: March 9, 2018
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Advances in Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy-Based Sensing Techniques for Exhaled Breath Diagnostics
Ramya Selvaraj1, Nilesh J Vasa1, S M Shiva Nagendra2
1Department of Engineering Design, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India.
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 14, 2020
Summary
Mid-infrared laser spectroscopy offers a promising new way to detect disease biomarkers in exhaled breath. This technology could lead to compact, point-of-care devices for rapid diagnostics.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Analytical Chemistry
- Spectroscopy
Background:
- Human exhaled breath contains over 3000 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), many serving as disease biomarkers.
- Gas chromatography is the established method for VOC detection, but it is not suitable for point-of-care applications.
- Mid-infrared (MIR) laser spectroscopy presents a novel approach for sensitive and selective VOC analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the advancements in MIR sensing technologies for exhaled breath analysis.
- To highlight the potential of photoacoustic spectroscopy in detecting breath biomarkers.
- To discuss the challenges and future directions for clinical translation of MIR-based diagnostics.
Main Methods:
- Review of mid-infrared laser spectroscopy techniques, focusing on photoacoustic spectroscopy.
- Analysis of applications in exhaled breath volatile organic compound detection.
- Discussion of technological evolution towards compact point-of-care (POC) instruments.
Main Results:
- MIR laser spectroscopy enables sensitive and selective detection of exhaled breath biomarkers.
- Photoacoustic spectroscopy is a key technology for developing effective MIR-based breath analyzers.
- Compact POC optical instruments are emerging for single-breath diagnostics.
Conclusions:
- MIR point-of-care instrumentation offers high sensitivity and molecular selectivity for breath diagnostics.
- Standardization of MIR sensing techniques is crucial for widespread clinical adoption.
- Further development is needed to translate these promising technologies into routine clinical practice.
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