Exhaled Breath Device

Your breath can reveal signs of disease​

Exhaled breath contains far more information about the body than one might expect. Proteins, gases and other substances in our breath may contain signs of disease and could potentially be used for both diagnosis and monitoring. Researchers are therefore developing a new method for collecting exhaled breath that could make it possible to identify new biomarkers – simply and without invasive sampling.

Clinical need​

Exhaled breath represents a non-invasive and largely untapped diagnostic approach with the potential to provide insights into biological processes, much like blood samples. It contains proteins, gases and metabolites that can be analysed to identify new and previously unknown biomarkers for use in both diagnosis and monitoring.

Research into exhaled breath is promising – particularly in cardiometabolic diseases, infectious diseases and cancer – but is still at an early stage of development. There is therefore a need to develop optimal methods for collecting and analysing the material.

Solution

Aalborg University Hospital, together with Aalborg University and Aarhus University, is developing a device for collecting exhaled breath that could enable the identification of new biomarkers.

Collecting exhaled breath could potentially reduce the need for more expensive and invasive sampling methods. Samples can be collected without the need for specially trained personnel, which could reduce staffing and logistics costs. The technology is still under development, and the final analytical quality, diagnostic accuracy and subsequent treatment costs are still being evaluated.

Idea originators​

Department of Haematology, Aalborg University Hospital; Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University; Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University.