Abstract
Breath analysis has attracted lots of interest in clinical and scientific research for its non-invasive diagnosis of various diseases. Over some decades, exhaled breath has become an important diagnostic method which can be used in the evaluation of health conditions. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) such as acetone, toluene, isoprene and others have been regarded as biomarkers for different diseases (Xiao et al. 2014). Acetone which is generated by hepatocytes via decarboxylation of excess acetyl-coenzyme A, is considered a biomarker of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus (Ueta et al. 2009). Furthermore, acetone has been considered as an indicator of poor diabetic control rather than glucose control (Mannolls, 1983).
Current monitoring or diagnosis of diabetes mellitus is achieved through the use of glucose finger prick testing of blood several times daily. This is not only painful but can also be unsafe if proper handling is not undertaken and it is also expensive. Many studies have been done on the analysis of breath for detection of acetone using the Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), Selected Ion-Flow Tube-Mass Spectrometry (SIFT-MS), and others. Although these techniques are accurate, sensitive and specific, they are not suitable for a daily diabetic monitoring for their demands in sample preparation, highly sophisticated laboratory equipment and they are expensive. In this study a portable gas sensor (chemio-resistance) device made of Vanadium dioxide (VO2) has been developed and tested for acetone detection in 30 diabetic and 30 non-diabetic patients. The chemio-resistance sensors are very easy to fabricate, has low limit of detection and are easy to use for non-invasive diagnosis of breath.
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry coupled with Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) offers a reliable determination of acetone concentration in breath as it is sensitive and specific. Thus breath acetone from 30 diabetic and 30 non diabetic were also analysed with the above mentioned instrumentation to verify and calibrate the result observed with the gas sensor device. The traditional method of diagnosing and monitoring diabetes which is currently used in clinics...
M.Sc. (Biochemistry)