Collection and measurement of exhaled particles
AssigneePexa AB
InventorsAnna-Carin Olin, Ann-Charlotte Almstrand, Jukka Lausmaa, Evert Ljungstrom
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Particles are exhaled in the breath of animals. The nature and amounts of the particles can be indicative of certain medical conditions. They can therefore be collected, sorted according to size or mass and used in the diagnosis of one or more medical conditions. The invention provides a method and system for collecting and sorting exhaled particles and a method for diagnosis using said exhaled particles.
Claims15
A method for determining the medical condition of a subject, said method comprising the steps of:
- a. collecting particles exhaled by said subject;
- b. sorting said particles according to their mass or size;
- and
- c. analysing the chemical content of said particles;
- thereby allowing the medical condition of said subject to be determined.
A method for providing a particle distribution profile of exhaled breath particles, said method comprising the steps of:
- a. collecting particles exhaled by a subject;
- and
- b. sorting said particles at a temperature such that the size distribution of the exhaled aerosol is not changed either by evaporation or condensation of water vapour according to their size or mass, to obtain a particle distribution profile of said particles.
A system (100) for collecting and sorting exhaled particles, said system comprising:
- a. a reservoir (114) which is located in a thermostatted compartment (120) having the purpose of maintaining the aerosol size distribution, said reservoir (114) having a first opening (112) and a second opening (113);
- b. a two-way mouthpiece (110) which is kept at a temperature such that the size distribution of the exhaled aerosol is not changed either by evaporation or condensation of water vapour and connected to the first opening (112) of the reservoir (114);
- c. an inertial impactor (10) which is located in a thermostatted compartment (120) having the purpose of maintaining the aerosol size distribution, said reservoir (114), said impactor (10) having an inlet (12) and an outlet (14), said impactor (10) comprising a plurality of stages (20, 30, 40, 50 . . . ) arranged such that a gas stream (A) comprising particles (P) enters the impactor (10) via the inlet (12) and passes through each stage (20, 30, 40, 50 . . . ) in turn before exiting the impactor (10) via said outlet (14);
- wherein each stage (20, 30, 40, 50 . . . ) is separated from adjacent stages by a partition (21, 31, 41, 51 . . . ) having an orifice (22, 32, 42, 52 . . . ) which directs the primary gas stream (A) towards collection plates (33, 43, 53 . . . ), the major face of each collection plate (33, 43, 53 . . . ) being arranged substantially perpendicular to the direction of flow of the gas stream (A);
- the inlet (12) of the inertial impactor being connected to the first opening (112) of the reservoir (114).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.