Our Solution
Breath analysis is a non-invasive technique in which samples of exhaled air are collected and analyzed in order to determine their chemical composition.
Exhaled air contains a rich assortment of chemicals at trace levels below parts-per-million (ppmv). Many of these chemicals are metabolites, natural byproducts of our human metabolism. The collection of metabolites found in a breath sample provides a useful snapshot of the state of health of the individual. For instance, elevated levels of breath acetone have been linked to diabetic ketoacidosis, and breath ammonia has been shown to be elevated in patients suffering from kidney failure.
To enable breath analysis in clinical settings, we have developed a suite of easy-to-use analytical and breath sampling technologies. Picomole breath analysis is fast, painless, does not require fasting, and can be performed anywhere.
To address the limitations of current gas analysis technologies, we have developed Laser Infrared Sample Analysis, or LISA™ for short, a powerful platform technology for breath analysis using infrared laser spectroscopy. LISA is robust, fully quantitative, and overcomes technical issues such as isomer identification that have slowed down progress in breath analysis.
Built using LISA technology, Picomole's NASUS laboratory analyzer can potentially detect all but 2% of the volatile chemicals found in breath. On average, these chemicals can be detected down to 0.3 parts-per-billion (ppbv). The total time to process and analyze a sample is currently 25 minutes, and further speed improvements are planned.
NASUS™
SCOUT™
Breath samples can be collected directly with the NASUS laboratory analyzer or remotely with Picomole’s SCOUT sample collection unit. SCOUT is a portable unit that can be easily moved from site to site. It is ideal for clinical settings where space and cost are frequently important considerations. Patients feel comfortable and exhale in a natural, effortless way. The user-friendly on-screen application software conveniently guides the user through the steps to collect a breath sample. The sample is stored in compact sorbent tubes, which are then shipped to Picomole's lab for analysis.
Recently, our team announced that our NASUS and SCOUT technologies were used successfully in a pilot study
to detect lung cancer. The results of the study suggest the Picomole breath test has a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 97%, a level of accuracy not seen with any other technique for the detection of lung cancer. Our breath test for lung cancer has the potential to be a game-changer in the global fight against this terrible disease, which kills 1.4 million people every year.
But we aren’t stopping there. We intend to conduct clinical
studies on different types of cancer and other life-threatening
illnesses as soon as possible.
What we discover will change the way you think about breath forever.
