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INIZIO_TESTO_DA_INDICIZZARE

RESEARCH PROGRAM

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Research Units
Similar research programs:
Scientific and education field classification
International Patent Classification
  • HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
      • DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (analysing biological material G01N, e.g. G01N33/48; obtaining records using waves other than optical waves, in general G03B42/00)
  • PHYSICS
    • MEASURING (counting G06M); TESTING
      • INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (separating components of materials in general B01D, B01J, B03, B07; apparatus fully provided for in a single other subclass, see the relevant subclass e.g. B01L; measuring or testing processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or micro-organisms C12M, C12Q; investigation of foundation soil in situ E02D1/00; sensing humidity changes for compensating measurements of other variables or for compensating readings of instruments for variations in humidity, see G01D or the relevant subclass for the variable measured; testing or determining the properties of structures G01M; measuring or investigating electric or magnetic properties of materials G01R; systems or methods in general, using reception or emission of radiowaves or other waves and based on propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effect, propagation time, direction of propagation, G01S; determining sensivity, graininess, or density of photographic materials G03C5/02; testing component parts of nuclear reactors G21C17/00; [N: controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; measuring degree of ionisation of ionised gases, i.e. plasma H05H1/00A; testing electrographic developer properties G03G15/08H6])
Geographical classification
Keywords
BREATH ANALYSIS; MOS SENSORS; SENSORS ARRAY; VOC ANALYSIS; BREATH ANALYSER; DISEASE DIAGNOSIS

Innovative systems based on sensor array for monitoring of biomarkers as diagnostic tools

Università degli Studi di Messina
Abstract
It is well known that some volatile organic compounds (markers) in breath samples can provide clinically useful information for the diagnosis of many diseases such as diabetes, lung cancer, inflammatory lung diseases, hepatic dysfunction and, more generally, oxidative stress processes which are involved in a variety of high priority diseases. This is principally due to an almost instantaneous equilibrium between the pulmonary blood and the air in the alveoli of the lung.This makes breath analysis a potentially powerful diagnostic tool for a variety of diseases. Moreover, due to its non-invasive character and to the possibility of biochemical monitoring the evolution of diseases and malfunctions. Despite this, breath analysis is not as widespread as it could be, due to the need of complex and expensive instrumentation requiring skilled personnel. The diffusion of breath analysis as a normal diagnostic tool has been hampered by the difficulties in demonstrating the correlation between identified marker compounds with a pathology, since in most cases specific metabolic pathways are unknown. Moreover, substance concentrations (often at trace level) in the exhaled air change under various conditions, which makes sampling a very critical step requiring skilled personnel and sophisticated analytical instruments.
For this reason, an early diagnosis is of outmost importance and a fast, low cost instrument to be used for mass screening would be precious. Sensor-based systems >>>

Principal Investigator
Giovanni NERI Università degli Studi di MESSINA
Research Objectives
Breath analysis is a non-invasive technique to monitor the evolution of many diseases and malfunctions. Despite this, breath analysis is not as widespread as it could be, due to the need of complex and expensive instrumentation requiring skilled personnel and difficulties in demonstrating the correlation between identified marker compounds with a pathology, since in most cases specific metabolic pathways are unknown and/or substance concentrations (often at trace level) in the exhaled air change under various conditions.
For this reason, aim of this project is the development of a fast and low cost prototype instrument (breath analyser) to be used for mass screening where an early diagnosis is of outmost importance.
The proposed investigation is based on the specific expertise available at the laboratories partecipating in the project.
The specific aims of the proposed project are:
1) Implementation of analytical methodologies for the caracterization of the human breath;
2) design and realisation of an automatic intelligent device for sampling of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the human breath;
3) design, assembly, optimisation and testing of a novel MOS sensors array as detection device for the breath analyser under development.
Common activities are also related to the reduction of effects of interferents (i.e. sensors with low cross-sensitivity to humidity, selective preconcentration of markers of interst), the >>>

Timescale
24 months
National and international background
Breath analysis is rapidly gaining ground as a means to noninvasively diagnose and monitor various aspects of metabolism linked to several disease [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. The technology also has potential applications in the management of tumours and heart disease. This is possible because there is an almost instantaneous equilibrium between the pulmonary blood and the air in the alveoli of the lung [7]. Far more than 500 of these compounds have been described [1]. These volatile substances may be generated in the body (endogeneous substances) or may be absorbed as contaminants from the environment (exogenous substances). In order to monitor metabolic or any pathologic processes in the body, endogenous substances have to be determined. These endogenous compounds include inorganic gases, such as NO, CO, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as ethane, pentane, acetone, isoprene and others, some of which have been strictly correlated to various diseases [1,2-5]. Several breath components are known to be related to specific human diseases[1,3]: acetone for diabetes [9,10], ammonia for diseases in amino acids metabolism [11], dimethylamine for renal disease [11], dimethylsulfide for hepatic disease [11], hydrogen for malabsorption of lactose [12] and isoprene that showed correlations with cholesterol biosynthesis and with oxidative damage to the fluid lining of the lung [1].
Particularly interesting is the presence of ethane, pentane and methylated hydrocarbons in exaled gas >>>