Pneumonia Detection via Multi-Gas Sensor Array and Thermal Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for detecting pneumonia, especially in the early stages, are inefficient as they require specimen collection and bacterial culture, which takes 3-5 days and can be inaccurate due to contamination or low bacterial concentration, leading to delayed targeted antibiotic administration.
Innovation Solution
A pneumonia detection device that uses a multi-gas sensing module with a gas sensor array to analyze exhaled air, combined with a temperature and humidity control module, to generate characteristic signals for rapid identification of bacterial species, allowing for immediate determination of infection and species type.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If bacterial culture is used to determine bacterial species, then test accuracy is improved, but test time increases to 3-5 days
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional bacterial culture method (mechanical/biological process) with a gas sensor-based detection system that measures metabolic gases produced by bacteria. This substitution enables rapid detection within minutes while maintaining high accuracy through multi-parameter gas analysis, thereby resolving the contradiction between test accuracy and test time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the detection parameters from direct bacterial counting or culture growth (traditional methods) to measuring concentrations of specific metabolic gases (CO2, CO, N2O, etc.). This parameter transformation allows for immediate detection of bacterial presence and species identification without the 3-5 day culture period, achieving both speed and accuracy.
2Loss of time
If rapid test kits are used to quickly identify bacteria, then test time is reduced to 3-5 minutes, but test accuracy decreases when bacterial concentration is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a multi-gas sensor array that simultaneously detects multiple metabolic gases (CO2, CO, N2O, CH4, H2S, etc.) produced by different bacterial species. This multi-functional detection approach maintains high accuracy even at low bacterial concentrations by analyzing the combination and pattern of multiple gas signals, rather than relying on a single rapid test parameter that fails at low concentrations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates real-time feedback through continuous monitoring of gas concentrations and dynamic adjustment of detection thresholds. The control unit analyzes the pattern of gas signals and provides feedback to optimize detection sensitivity, enabling accurate identification even when bacterial concentration is low, thus resolving the accuracy-time contradiction of rapid tests.
3Measurement precision
If specimen collection procedures are implemented, then bacterial identification is possible, but procedure complexity and contamination risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the detection target from the complex specimen collection and culture process, focusing directly on measuring metabolic gases that are naturally present in exhaled breath. This extraction eliminates the need for invasive sputum suctioning, bacterial culture procedures, and complex laboratory processing, thereby reducing procedure complexity while maintaining identification capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces metabolic gases as an intermediary marker between bacterial infection and detection. Instead of directly detecting bacteria (which requires complex specimen collection) or using culture methods (which require 3-5 days), the system measures the gases that bacteria produce as intermediaries in their metabolism. This intermediary approach simplifies the detection process while maintaining accuracy.
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 device increases test accuracy by analyzing exhaled air for bacterial metabolites, providing rapid results that enable timely and targeted antibiotic treatment, as demonstrated by high area under the curve (AUC) values in experimental tests.
Implementation Method 1
a gas sensor array disposed in the chamber to react with a gas metabolized from the at least one bacterial species to generate a plurality of characteristic signals
Implementation Method 2
The temperature and humidity control module controls and measures a temperature and a humidity within the air channel
Implementation Method 3
The temperature and humidity control module controls and measures a temperature and a humidity within the air channel
Implementation Method 4
the temperature and humidity control module controls and adjusts an operational condition of the temperature between 45°C and 60°C within the chamber during detection
Implementation Method 5
the temperature and humidity control module controls and adjusts an operational condition of the humidity between 7% and 20% within the chamber during detection
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention provides a pneumonia detection device for detecting an exhaled air (101) of a patient (100) to determine whether the lungs of the patient (100) have been infected by at least one bacterial species. The device comprises a multi-gas sensing module (10), a temperature and humidity control module (20), and an operation control unit (30). The multi-gas sensing module (10) comprises a gas sensor array (12) reacting with a gas metabolized from the bacteria to generate a plurality of characteristic signals. The temperature and humidity control module (20) controls and measures an operational condition of 45°C-60°C and humidity between 7% and 20% for the gas sensor array (12). The gas sensor array (12) contacts with the exhaled air (101) to generate a plurality of measurement signals. The operation control unit (30) comparisons the measurement signals and the characteristic signals of different bacteria to generate a result determining whether the patient (100) has contracted the bacteria.