Breath of life, a new diagnostic technique

A revolutionary form of breath analysis developed at Keele University has gone on trial in a clinical environment.

The technique, known as SIFT-MS, works by measuring trace gases or metabolites present in the breath. The analysis was devised by Professor David Smith and Professor Patrik Spanel from the university's Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine.

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. It is also set to be used is in the study of children with respiratory illnesses like asthma and cystic fibrosis.

It is hoped that the device could eventually be used in GP surgeries as a standard means of diagnosis.