Breath Analyzer Cooling Unit for Volatile Component Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional breath analysis techniques, such as solid phase adsorption, struggle to detect a wide range of volatile components in breath due to limitations in adsorbents, making it difficult to diagnose diseases effectively, especially when searching for specific disease-diagnostic components.
Innovation Solution
A breath analyzer configuration that includes a column, carrier gas supply, sample introduction, cooling, and heating units, where breath is cooled to trap volatile components, then heated for sequential desorption and detection, allowing for improved separation and detection of more volatile components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If solid phase adsorption method is used to concentrate volatile components, then detection sensitivity is improved, but the range of detectable volatile components is limited due to adsorbent selectivity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the single adsorption step into two distinct steps: first, cooling the breath sample to trap volatile components on the adsorbent; second, heating the adsorbent to desorb and separate different volatile components. This segmentation allows the same adsorbent to effectively handle multiple types of volatile components by utilizing temperature-dependent adsorption and desorption, thereby expanding the detectable range while maintaining detection sensitivity.
2Device complexity
If breath is merely introduced into the column without cooling, then the analysis process is simple, but volatile components cannot be sufficiently separated and detection sensitivity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary cooling action before the breath sample enters the column. By pre-cooling the breath sample to trap volatile components on the adsorbent, the system ensures sufficient concentration and separation of volatile components before detection. This preliminary action significantly improves detection sensitivity while adding only a simple cooling step to the overall process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enables the detection of a broader range of volatile components in breath, enhancing the sensitivity and accuracy of breath analysis for disease diagnosis.
Implementation Method 1
The cooling unit cools the breath introduced from the sample introduction unit into the carrier gas, to trap a volatile component in the breath into the column
Implementation Method 2
The heating unit heats the volatile components trapped in the column to desorb the volatile components
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling unit (cryo-focus unit) cools breath introduced into a carrier gas from a sample introduction unit, to trap volatile components in the breath into a column. A heater heats the volatile components trapped in the column to desorb the volatile components. Amass spectrometry (MS) section detects the volatile components desorbed by the heater and separated in a process of passing through the column. The breath introduced into the carrier gas from the sample introduction unit is cooled by the cooling unit, whereby more volatile components in the breath are trapped, and those volatile components can be desorbed, and can be detected by the MS section.