# US 2019/0167152 A1 · Method and apparatus for the diagnosis of pneumonia using exhaled breath metabolomics

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- Number: US 2019/0167152 A1
- Document ID: US20190167152A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/828,647
- Filed: 2017-12-01
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-01
- Assignees: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
- Applicants: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
- Inventors: JOHANNES WEDA; HUGO KNOBEL; TAMARA MATHEA ELISABETH NIJSEN; SANNE DE BRUIN; POULINE van OORT; MARCUS J. SCHULTZ; LIEUWE DURK JACOBUS BOS
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190167152A1

## CPC

- A61B 5/08: Measuring devices for evaluating the respiratory organs
- A61B 5/083: Measuring rate of metabolism by using breath test, e.g. measuring rate of oxygen consumption
- A61B 5/082: {Evaluation by breath analysis, e.g. determination of the chemical composition of exhaled breath (A61B5/083, A61B5/091 take precedence)}
- A61B 5/4842: {Monitoring progression or stage of a disease}
- A61B 5/7267: {involving training the classification device}
- G01N 33/0047: {Organic compounds}
- G01N 33/497: of gaseous biological material, e.g. breath
- G16H 50/20: for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
- G16H 50/70: for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients
- G01N 33/4975: {other than oxygen, carbon dioxide or alcohol, e.g. organic vapours}
- G01N 33/4977: {Metabolic gas from microbes, cell cultures or plant tissues}
- G01N 2800/12: Pulmonary diseases
- Y02A 90/10: Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA
- Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE

## Abstract

A method and apparatus for the diagnosis of hospital-acquired pneumonia is described. The method uses the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath that indicate pneumonia or the presence of pathogens in the respiratory tract in intubated and mechanically ventilated intensive care unit patients. The apparatus may be an electronic nose incorporated into a ventilation system, which outputs to a display the indication of pneumonia. One particular useful VOC is 1-propanol.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for analyzing a patient's breath to detect disease, comprising the steps of:
providing a breath detector apparatus operable to capture and hold a volatile organic compound (VOCs) that is contained within a exhaled breath;
providing a breath VOC analyzer in communication with the breath detector apparatus, the breath VOC analyzer operable to automatically determine a level of the VOC;
capturing the VOC with the breath detector apparatus;
analyzing the VOC to automatically determine the level;
comparing the level of the VOC to a predetermined threshold level of the VOC; and
outputting an indication of disease if the level of the VOC is less than the threshold level of the VOC.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the VOC comprises 1-propanol.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined threshold level of the VOC is about 0.36 ion count (10-log).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the VOC comprises one of an alkylether, a methyl-ketone, a propanol, a carbon disulfide, and an acetone.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing a breath analyzer comprises providing an electronic nose operable to detect the VOC.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing a breath detector apparatus comprises providing a sorbent tube.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the exhaled breath comprises a combination of alveolar air and dead space air.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the disease comprises pneumonia.

### Claim 9

An apparatus for analyzing exhaled breath to detect pneumonia in a patient, comprising:
a breath detector apparatus operable to capture and hold a volatile organic compound (VOCs) that is contained within a exhaled breath;
a breath VOC analyzer in communication with the breath detector apparatus, the breath VOC analyzer operable to automatically determine a level of the VOC;
a hardware computer processor configured to compare the level of the VOC to a predetermined threshold level of the VOC, to output a disease signal if the level of the VOC is less than the threshold level of the VOC; and
a display in communication with the hardware computer processor, the display operable to provide an aural or visual alert of a disease indication.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the VOC is 1-propanol.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the breath VOC analyzer comprises an electronic nose configured to detect the VOC.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a medical ventilator, wherein the electronic nose is disposed to directly sample exhaled breath from an exhalation tube.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the breath VOC analyzer comprises a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyzer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the breath detector apparatus comprises a bag disposed to capture the exhaled breath and the VOC.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the breath detector apparatus comprises a sorbent tube and a pump, wherein the pump is disposed to draw a predetermined sample volume of the exhaled breath through the sorbent tube, the sorbent tube further arranged to retain the VOC.