A device for volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis from skin using heated dynamic headspace sampling

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Human skin emits volatile organic compounds (VOCs), offering a noninvasive source for clinical metabolite profiling.
• Current methods for collecting skin VOCs can be limited in efficiency and variability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and optimize a novel skin sampling device utilizing dynamic headspace sampling with temperature control.
• To enhance the recovery and reduce variability of skin VOC measurements for improved clinical insights.

Main Methods:

• Development of a skin VOC sampling device incorporating a heating element and sorbent substrate.
• Optimization of sampling parameters including temperature (40°C), sampling time (15 min), and sorbent material (Tenax TA).
• Offline analysis of collected VOCs using thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS).

Main Results:

• The optimized method significantly increased the recovery of VOCs with lower vapor pressure.
• A 40°C sampling temperature, 15-minute sampling time, and Tenax TA sorbent demonstrated superior performance.
• Reduced variability in skin VOC measurements was observed with the optimized protocol.
• Detection and identification of 79 distinct skin VOCs in 20 healthy volunteers.

Conclusions:

• The developed skin VOC sampling technology, enhanced by heating, offers an effective approach for noninvasive metabolite analysis.
• Optimized parameters improve compound recovery and measurement consistency, paving the way for broader clinical applications.
• This technology holds potential for advancing diagnostic and monitoring strategies through skin VOC profiling.