Portable Breath Sampling Unit for Non-Invasive Drug Detection

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for detecting illicit drugs are invasive, time-consuming, and prone to sample tampering, particularly requiring blood or urine samples, which are not suitable for on-site, non-invasive testing.

Innovation Solution

A portable system that collects exhaled breath samples using a sampling unit and housing, allowing for the detection of drug substances through mass-spectroscopy, with features like a detachable mouthpiece, SPE-cartridge, and filter membranes to facilitate easy sampling and analysis.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If blood or urine sampling is used for drug detection, then detection accuracy is improved, but invasiveness and time consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection accuracyVSAvoidinvasiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses exhaled breath as an intermediary medium to detect drug substances. Instead of directly sampling blood or urine, the system captures volatile organic compounds exhaled by the subject, which contain trace amounts of drug metabolites. This intermediary approach maintains detection accuracy while eliminating the invasiveness of direct fluid sampling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical/invasive sampling process (needle insertion for blood, catheter insertion for urine) with a non-invasive breath collection mechanism. The sampling unit simply captures exhaled air through a mouthpiece, substituting complex mechanical intrusion with a simple respiratory-based collection method.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If blood or urine sampling is used for drug detection, then detection accuracy is improved, but time consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection accuracyVSAvoidtime consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary action by collecting breath samples that can be analyzed immediately on-site. The portable mass spectrometer enables real-time or near-real-time analysis of the collected breath sample, eliminating the time delay associated with transporting blood or urine samples to a laboratory for later analysis.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the complex laboratory-based analysis system with a portable mass spectrometer that can be deployed at the testing location. This substitution enables rapid on-site analysis, reducing the overall time from sample collection to result delivery while maintaining detection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Ease of operation

If portable sampling system is used, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveportabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the system into distinct functional modules: a sampling unit for breath collection, a housing for support, and a portable mass spectrometer for analysis. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and facilitates portable deployment while managing overall system complexity through modular architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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

Enables quick, efficient, and non-invasive on-site detection of drug substances with reliable results from a single exhalation, reducing the need for intrusive testing and minimizing sample handling and contamination risks.

Implementation Method 1

The sampling unit is adapted to collect non-volatile and volatile organic compounds of the at least one drug substance from the exhaled breath from the subject

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAdsorption: Adsorption

Implementation Method 2

The invented system is adapted to collect the sample for further analysis using mass-spectroscopy

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMass-spectroscopy:

Data Source

PatentUS11567011B2System and method for drug detection in exhaled breath

Publication Date: 2023.01.31 SENSA BUES AB

AI summary

A portable system is disclosed for collecting a sample from exhaled breath of a subject. Drug substance in the exhaled breath are detected or determined. The sample is collected for further analysis using mass-spectroscopy. The system comprises a sampling unit and a housing arranged to hold the sampling unit, the sampling unit is adapted to collect non-volatile and volatile compounds of the at least one drug substance from the exhaled breath from the subject. The housing has at least one inlet for the subject to exhale into the housing to the sampling unit and at least one outlet for the exhaled breath to exit through.