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Take a deep breath!                                        

Did you know the average person breathes roughly 17,300 to 28,800 times a day? Every time we exhale, information about our state of health gets released into the world. Whether we are healthy or sick or whether we have been exposed to a toxic or illegal substance are all things that can be determined by analyzing the rich assortment of volatile compounds found in our breath. In a very real sense, breath analysis is like peering through a window into the inner workings of the human body. Clinicians have long recognized that patients with specific illnesses such as diabetes, liver disorder and kidney failure have noticeable changes in the smell of their breath. By measuring the volatile compounds present in breath and using mathematical models to relate these values to blood concentrations, researchers are building the biochemical foundation for breath analysis.

A major milestone in the scientific study of breath was marked in the 1970’s when Dr. Linus Pauling demonstrated that exhaled breath is actually a complex mixture of at least 250 different volatile organic compounds. Since then, several thousand research studies have been published in the peer-reviewed scientific literature building on the foundation laid by Dr. Pauling and others.

Why breath analysis?

• Painless. Breath testing is noninvasive, easily repeated and does not involve any discomfort, medical monitoring or embarrassment associated with blood, urine tests and biopsies.
• Fast. Breath samples closely reflect the arterial concentrations of biological substances. This may be particularly advantageous when many arterial blood samples are required such as when a patient must be monitored over an extended period of time.
• Simple. Breath is a less complex mixture than serum or urine and is amenable to a complete analysis of all VOC’s present. No work up is required in contrast to many analyses performed on urine and serum samples.

It’s a breath of fresh air doing business with Picomole!

The science of breath analysis is advancing rapidly and Picomole is at the forefront of this development.  Our team of skilled professionals is passionate about the study of breath and the exciting possibilities it may bring to the medical community. The potential for major changes in the way we approach screening and diagnosis of disease is on the horizon.

Click here to learn how Picomole’s innovative technology is ideally positioned to bridge the gap from research laboratory to clinical adoption.