Scientists from the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) have developed a graphene- and polymer-based sensor capable of instantly analyzing the composition of a person’s exhaled breath. According to data provided by the Russian Science Foundation, the device can detect signs of diabetes, heart failure, and other chronic diseases.
Breath analysis is a non-invasive diagnostic method used in medicine to assess lung function, identify certain diseases, and monitor inflammatory processes and biochemical changes in the body. Until now, most medical sensors measured only physical breathing parameters such as respiratory rate, pulse, blood oxygen saturation, and pressure, reports RIA Novosti. However, exhaled air also contains chemical markers that can indicate changes in the body.
Researchers developed a sensor based on graphene and polymer materials that can analyze the chemical composition of exhaled air with high precision.
“For example, in diabetes and some heart diseases, acetone levels in breath increase, and in kidney problems, ammonia levels rise. But existing breath analysis sensors are usually not sensitive enough or are too complex and only available in medical facilities. Therefore, the development of new ultra-sensitive devices is especially important,” said project leader Irina Antonova, senior researcher at the Laboratory of Physics and Technology of Three-Dimensional Nanostructures at the Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, Siberian Branch of RAS.
The compact medical device developed by Russian scientists consists of a thin film printed on ordinary office paper. It can assess the health status of people with conditions related to heart dysfunction, elevated blood glucose, asthma, and other diseases, and indicate whether they need medical consultation. The sensor can be attached to the body or a medical mask and used in hospitals, for example for continuous respiratory monitoring during surgery.
“The device allows us to obtain a breath spectrum in which we can observe peaks of acetone, water, and possibly ethylene. The high sensitivity of the sensor even allows tracking a simple rise in blood glucose after meals, recording the time it takes for the body to process the load and return to baseline levels,” Antonova explained.
According to her, when exhaled air reaches the sensor elements, their electrical conductivity changes. This happens because the sensor captures gases—water vapor, acetone, ammonia, and others—which facilitate current flow. As a result, the device records changes in the chemical composition of breath over time.
Using the new sensor, researchers analyzed the breath of 32 volunteers, including healthy individuals, patients with diabetes, and a person who had suffered a heart attack. The device detected a characteristic acetone peak in the breath spectra of sick individuals.
The sensor is sensitive enough to detect trace amounts of acetone, making it potentially useful for early diagnosis of several chronic diseases, Antonova noted.
“Thanks to the new nanostructured material we developed for the sensors, we achieved high measurement sensitivity. We created different sensor designs that allow us to selectively control which molecular markers are captured on the surface. In other words, each sensor reads only the ‘relevant’ signals that may indicate disease. In the future, this could allow patients with suspected chronic conditions to monitor their health even at home. The device is also low-cost and easy to use,” she said.
In the future, after further refinement, the sensor could be used to monitor the health of firefighters, pilots, divers, and other professionals, the researchers believe.
“Technically it is possible, but this is a long-term prospect—we are only taking the first steps in this direction. When the sensor is embedded in a medical mask, it only detects breathing activity itself rather than chemical data. But when used for chemical analysis of breath, a slow and prolonged exhalation is required, which is not typical of normal breathing. Developing a system that works during natural breathing could be the next stage,” the project leader added.
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