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US 2022/0031190 A1Published application
Hydrogen breath analyzer and breath test method
AssigneeHeteron Biotechnologies, LLC
InventorsAnastasia Rigas, Nabi Sertac Artan, Kalle Levon, Edward Amoako, Hao-Chun Chiang
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Abstract
The present invention provides an improved breath analyzer and breath test method to determine the presence of a gastrointestinal disorder in a human subject's digestive tract.
Claims22
A handheld, portable breath analyzer, comprising:
- a main body;
- and
- a removable mouthpiece, wherein the removable mouthpiece removably attaches to the main body;
- wherein the main body includes a sensor, a processor, a power source and an electrical circuit;
- wherein the electrical circuit operably connects the power source to the sensor and connects the sensor to the processor;
- wherein the sensor comprises a conductive material and a hydrogen selective material in contact with the conductive material, wherein the hydrogen selective material has a resistivity that increases in response to increased concentration of hydrogen, wherein humidity immediately surrounding the sensor is controlled within a predetermined range of humidity and the hydrogen selective material has a resistivity that increases in response to the predetermined range of humidity, wherein the predetermined range of humidity is from 0.1% to 15%, wherein the hydrogen selective material comprises polyaniline, wherein the polyaniline is doped with a dopant that increases pH sensitivity of the polyaniline, wherein the dopant comprises dinonylnapthylsulfonic acid, and wherein the polyaniline has a resistivity that increases in response to increased concentration of hydrogen;
- and
- wherein the processor detects resistivity of the sensor and uses the resistivity to calculate a concentration of hydrogen.
5 more elements
-4. (canceled)
A handheld, portable breathalyzer, comprising:
- a sensor, the sensor comprising a conductive material and a hydrogen selective material in contact with the conductive material, wherein the hydrogen selective material has a resistivity that increases in response to increased concentration of hydrogen, wherein humidity immediately surrounding the sensor is controlled within a predetermined range of humidity and the hydrogen selective material has a resistivity that increases in response to the predetermined range of humidity, wherein the predetermined range of humidity is from 0.1% to 15%, wherein the hydrogen selective material comprises polyaniline, wherein the polyaniline is doped with a dopant that increases pH sensitivity of the polyaniline, wherein the dopant comprises dinonylnapthylsulfonic acid, and wherein the polyaniline has a resistivity that increases in response to increased concentration of hydrogen;
- an analog front-end circuit;
- a microcontroller;
- a display;
- and
- a memory, wherein the display, the memory, and the analog front-end circuit are each electrically connected to the microcontroller.
3 more elements
A breath test method for screening for a gastrointestinal disorder, comprising steps of:
- (a) providing a portable, hand-held breath analyzer, wherein the portable, hand-held breath analyzer comprises:
- (i) a main body;
- and
- (ii) a removable mouthpiece, wherein the removable mouthpiece removably attaches the main body, wherein the main body includes a sensor, a processor, a power source and an electrical circuit, wherein the electrical circuit operably connects the power source to the sensor and connects the sensor to the processor, wherein the sensor comprises a conductive material and a hydrogen selective material in contact with the conductive material, wherein the hydrogen selective material comprises polyaniline, wherein the polyaniline is doped with a dopant that increases pH sensitivity of the polyaniline, wherein the dopant comprises dinonylnapthylsulfonic acid, wherein the hydrogen selective material has a resistivity that increases in response to increased concentration of hydrogen;
- (b) controlling humidity in an environment immediately surrounding the sensor such that the humidity is within a predetermined range, wherein the predetermined range of humidity is from 0.1% to 15%;
- (c) prompting a subject to exhale a breath sample into the removable mouthpiece;
- (d) allowing the processor to measure a resistivity of the sensor that occurs when the breath sample contacts the sensor;
- and
- (e) designating the subject as having an increased likelihood of having a gastrointestinal disorder if the measured resistivity is above and/or beneath a predetermined value.
6 more elements
(canceled)
A breath test method for diagnosing a gastrointestinal disorder, comprising steps of:
- (a) providing a portable, hand-held breath analyzer, wherein the portable, hand-held breath analyzer comprises:
- (i) a main body;
- and
- (ii) a removable mouthpiece, wherein the removable mouthpiece removably attaches the main body, wherein the main body includes a sensor, a processor, a power source and an electrical circuit, wherein the electrical circuit operably connects the power source to the sensor and connects the sensor to the processor, wherein the sensor comprises a conductive material and a hydrogen selective material in contact with the conductive material, wherein the hydrogen selective material comprises polyaniline, wherein the polyaniline is doped with a dopant that increases pH sensitivity of the polyaniline, wherein the dopant comprises dinonylnapthylsulfonic acid, wherein the hydrogen selective material has a resistivity that increases in response to increased concentration of hydrogen;
- (b) controlling humidity in an environment immediately surrounding the sensor such that the humidity is within a predetermined range, wherein the predetermined range of humidity is from 0.1% to 15%;
- (c) prompting a subject to exhale a breath sample into the removable mouthpiece;
- (d) allowing the processor to measure a resistivity of the sensor that occurs when the breath sample contacts the sensor;
- and
- (e) diagnosing the subject as having a gastrointestinal disorder if the measured resistivity is above and/or beneath a predetermined value.
6 more elements
-28. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.