Breath of Life - A New Diagnostic Technique

A revolutionary form of breath analysis is now going on trial in a clinical environment for the first time. The invention of Professor David Smith and Professor Patrik Spanel from Keele University's Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, this revolutionary technique is known as SIFT-MS works by measuring trace gases or metabolites present in the breath.

It is so sensitive that it is capable of detecting gases present at a fraction of one part in a billion of the breath gas, which is ten thousand times more sensitive than a standard breathalyser used for alcohol testing.

The technique has two major advantages over other ways of diagnosing illnesses: it is non–invasive, the patient simply exhales through a tube connected to the SIFT-MS instrument ,making it particularly useful in paediatric medicine; and the results are available online and in real time, so the doctor can get a read out immediately.

Initially it will be used to study the breath of patients with renal disease, and help to identify how effective their treatment is; another key area where it will be used is in the study of children with respiratory illnesses like asthma and cystic fibrosis.

While clinical use is still in the early stages, we might one day see a breath analysis device in every GP’s surgery, as a standard means of diagnosis.

Footage:
- Volunteer breathing into SIFT-MS machine
- Screen readouts trace gases
- Professors at work
- Exits and Interiors, Keele University Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine

Interviewees:
- Professor David Smith, Institute of Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele University
- Professor Patrik Spanel, Institute of Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele University and the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic.