Health

The Breathscanner 1.0

USA Today has Ultra-sensitive breath tests aim to identify disease.

They now can help determine if a heart transplant is being rejected and potentially will cut down on the number of biopsies transplant patients must endure.

The new test was developed by a New Jersey researcher, Dr. Michael Phillips, who expects his patient-friendly method will one day be used to detect lung cancer, breast cancer, kidney disease and diabetes.

And one day, he hopes, giving a breath sample will be as common as a blood or urine test.

“I could see a screening breath test as part of a routine medical exam,” said Phillips, founder and CEO of Menssana Research Inc., which is based in Fort Lee and has its lab in Newark.

The Breathscanner 1.0

– Analyzes the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in breath
– Identifies markers of oxidative stress and disease
– Mobile gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy
– Picomolar sensitivity (parts per trillion)
– Results in minutes
– Fits on a desk or a cart

An interesting concept.

The Website for Menssana Reserach is here.