Spectroscopic breath analysis

Compact, user-friendly and cost-effective measurement technique based on infrared spectroscopy

The molecular composition of human breath provides insight into the body without blood or tissue sampling. It has long been known that some disease patterns can be recognized by the smell of the breath. In the 1970s, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Linus Pauling established the field of diagnostic breath research by detecting a broad range of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the human breath. Today, breath analysis is part of research in numerous clinical studies for the diagnosis of various diseases - from metabolic and glandular diseases to cancer.

So far, commercial breath gas sensor technology is not very widespread beyond alcohol detection. Most clinical applications are based on breath sample collection and subsequent analysis in a specialized lab. Compact, user-friendly and inexpensive real-time measurement technique is the prerequisite for the widespread deployment of breath analysis in diagnosing diseases.

Fraunhofer IPM has several decades of experience with infrared spectroscopy (IR spectroscopy) for the detection and investigation of molecular substances. As an optical method, infrared spectroscopy exceeds other non-optical methods such as gas chromatography and mass spectrometry in terms of measuring speed and system compactness. In the Fraunhofer-funded research project ISLAS (Intracavity Laser Spectroscopy for the highly sensitive detection of trace gases) and in cooperation with Fraunhofer IAF, Fraunhofer IPM is researching a measurement method that is aimed to accelerate the breakthrough of breath analysis in patient-centered clinical diagnostics.