Breath gas analysis is a rapidly growing field of non-invasive diagnosis. One of the best-known examples is the detection of gastric ulcers caused by the bacterium Heliobacter pylori. The downside of most tests, however, is that samples must be sent to a specialized laboratory for analysis, and results are not available for several days or weeks. The availability of a direct V&Fmeasurement device would significantly reduce the time it takes to diagnose a disease that is actually present.
Background
Solution
V&F offers an instrument based on ion molecular reaction mass spectrometry (IMR-MS) that can analyze breath on- as well as off-line. The IMR-MS achieves very high sensitivity and selectivity down to ppb (billionths). The V&F ComboSense has been used for the determination of biomarkers in cystic fibrosis, liver disease, or precursors of diabetes, to name just a few examples. A specially designed gas inlet allows real-time measurement from breath-to-breath or simultaneous analysis of many components during a single inhalation.
Advantages
V&Finstruments are very flexible and can be easily adapted to clinical or laboratory scales. Uncomplicated calibration procedures facilitate simultaneous measurement of disease-relevant biomarkers, and the possibility of immediate reporting opens avenues for rapid non-invasive diagnosis.
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