Handheld Breath Analyzer for Gastrointestinal Disorder Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for diagnosing gastrointestinal disorders such as celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, lactose intolerance, fructose intolerance, and small bowel bacterial overgrowth are invasive, costly, cumbersome, and lack convenience, necessitating a more efficient and non-invasive diagnostic tool.
Innovation Solution
A portable, hand-held breath analyzer using a hydrogen sensor with a hydrogen selective material, such as doped polyaniline, that measures hydrogen levels in breath samples to determine the presence of these disorders, featuring a removable mouthpiece, a processor, and an electrical circuit to calculate hydrogen concentration based on sensor resistivity changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current diagnostic methods are used for gastrointestinal disorders, then diagnostic accuracy can be achieved, but the procedures are invasive, costly, and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical and procedural diagnostic systems with a simplified breath analysis system. Instead of invasive procedures requiring medical facilities and equipment, the invention uses a portable breath analyzer that detects hydrogen levels through breath samples, substituting mechanical complexity with a straightforward analytical chemistry approach
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the essential diagnostic information (hydrogen level) from the complex gastrointestinal diagnostic process. By focusing solely on measuring hydrogen concentration in breath samples, the system removes unnecessary procedural complexity while retaining diagnostic reliability for conditions like SIBO, lactose intolerance, and celiac disease
2Reliability
If current diagnostic methods are used for gastrointestinal disorders, then diagnostic accuracy can be achieved, but the cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential measurement needed for diagnosis - hydrogen level in breath - from the complex suite of current diagnostic procedures. This extraction simplifies the overall test complexity while maintaining diagnostic accuracy for multiple gastrointestinal conditions through a single breath analysis
Solution Approach 2:
The breath analyzer serves multiple diagnostic functions simultaneously, detecting hydrogen levels to diagnose various gastrointestinal disorders including SIBO, lactose intolerance, fructose malabsorption, and celiac disease. This multi-functionality reduces overall test complexity compared to requiring separate specialized tests for each condition
3Ease of operation
If a portable breath analyzer is used, then convenience and cost-effectiveness improve, but measurement precision must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by optimizing the sensor's hydrogen-sensitive material properties specifically for detecting hydrogen in breath samples. The sensor uses a metal oxide semiconductor with tailored characteristics to enhance its response to hydrogen at the specific concentrations found in human breath, ensuring measurement precision despite the portable format
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs parameter changes in the sensor's operating conditions and material properties to maintain measurement precision. By adjusting the sensor's temperature, material composition, and electrical characteristics, the system achieves accurate hydrogen concentration measurements while maintaining portability and ease of operation
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
The breath analyzer provides a reliable, less costly, and more convenient means to screen and diagnose gastrointestinal disorders by accurately measuring hydrogen levels in breath samples, offering a point-of-care solution for these conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The hydrogen selective material has a resistivity that increases in response to increased concentration of hydrogen. The processor detects resistivity of the sensor and uses the resistivity to calculate a concentration of hydrogen in a breath sample.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an improved breath analyzer and breath test method to determine the presence of a gastrointestinal disorder in a subject's digestive tract.