Optimising the analytical performance of sorbent tube sampling and thermal desorption–GC–MS for disease diagnosis via breath and bio-monitoring

This application note is intended to provide guidance on optimising the analytical performance of thermal desorption (TD) for those carrying out routine or research monitoring of breath for disease diagnosis. It summarises the major steps in the sampling and laboratory workflow, identifies the main analytical challenges and advises on which features and parameter ranges to select.

Vapour-phase organic compounds (VOCs) are the by-products of many metabolic processes in the human body and analysing them in exhaled breath offers an exciting opportunity to diagnose life-threatening conditions using a non-invasive process. While it has long been known that the fruity smell of acetone on the breath can be an early indication of diabetes and the pungent smell of ammonia can be a sign of kidney failure, the latest research has shown that the profile or pattern of trace VOCs in end-tidal breath has the potential to be screened for a much wider range of diseases; for example respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases,¹ cancer,^2,3 liver disease^2,4 and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).⁵

If accepted into clinical practice, breath analysis would enable cost-effective and non-invasive screening of large populations, facilitating early diagnosis, improving patient outcomes and reducing health care costs.

>> Download the Full Application Note as a PDF

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