Exhaled Particle Collection and Mass Sorting for Respiratory Diagnosis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for monitoring respiratory health are invasive, limited in their ability to detect non-allergic airway diseases, and face challenges in sampling and analyzing exhaled breath condensate, particularly due to dilution, contamination, and inefficiency in capturing non-volatile compounds.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the collection and sorting of exhaled aerosol particles by mass or size, followed by chemical analysis to determine medical conditions, using an inertial impactor and advanced mass spectrometry techniques like TOF-SIMS, MALDI-MS, and biochemical assays to generate a particle distribution profile for diagnosis and monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is collected and analyzed, then non-invasive sampling is achieved, but the method suffers from dilution with water resulting in very low concentrations of substances of interest, high contamination with oral cavity substances, high intra-individual coefficient of variation, and inefficient sampling of non-volatiles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and separates aerosol particles from the exhaled breath condensate matrix. By collecting particles directly on filters or collection surfaces rather than analyzing diluted condensate, the method removes the diluting water component while retaining the analytes of interest, thereby concentrating the substances and improving measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the analysis by separating particles from gas phase components and oral cavity contaminants. Using size-based separation techniques and selective collection methods, the method isolates respiratory tract particles from the complex EBC matrix, reducing contamination and improving signal-to-noise ratio for accurate measurement.
2Measurement precision
If invasive methods like bronchoscopy are used to monitor respiratory health, then detailed information on airway conditions is obtained, but the methods are too invasive and associated with certain risks especially in sensitive populations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses exhaled aerosol particles as an intermediary that carries information from the respiratory tract lining fluid to the outside environment. By analyzing these particles in the breath, the method indirectly monitors airway conditions without direct invasion, eliminating the risks associated with bronchoscopy while preserving the ability to detect disease mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent analyzes copies of respiratory tract material in the form of exhaled aerosol particles rather than directly sampling from the airways. These particles serve as representative copies containing biochemical information from the respiratory lining fluid, allowing non-invasive monitoring with diagnostic value comparable to invasive methods.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If lung function measurement is used to monitor respiratory health, then the method is harmless to the patient, but it gives no information on underlying mechanisms of disease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent detects changes in the biochemical composition of exhaled particles, which reflect changes in the respiratory tract lining fluid. By analyzing the chemical properties, concentration, and composition of these particles, the method provides specific information on inflammatory processes, oxidative stress, and disease mechanisms while maintaining the non-invasive nature of breath analysis.
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 non-invasive, repeated sampling for early disease detection and monitoring, providing specific information on patho-physiological processes in the airways, and identifying biomarkers for various respiratory and systemic diseases.
Implementation Method 1
an inertial impactor having an inlet and an outlet, said impactor comprising a plurality of stages arranged such that a gas stream (A) comprising particles (P) enters the impactor via the inlet and passes through each stage in turn before exiting the impactor via said outlet
Implementation Method 2
analysing the chemical content of said aerosol particles, thus allowing the medical condition of said subject to be determined
Implementation Method 3
advanced mass spectrometry techniques like TOF-SIMS, MALDI-MS
Data Source
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AI summary
Particles are exhaled in the breath of animals. The nature and amounts of the particles can be indicative of certain medical conditions. They can therefore be collected, sorted according to size or mass and used in the diagnosis of one or more medical conditions. The invention provides a method and system for collecting and sorting exhaled particles and a method for diagnosis using said exhaled particles.