Breath Explor Sampling Device: capture non-volatiles from the distal parts of the lung.
The device fits into the palm of the hand. Simple and non-invasive, the device traps droplets of surfactant (or aerosols) through impaction. One device holds three subsamples.
The collected specimen, proven to originate from the distal airways, is clean, easily extracted, and concentrated. It is not a breath condensate. Material collected from 10-12 normal breaths into the BE Device is sufficient to perform the analysis of drugs using LC-MS/MS.
For research, exhaled breath offers a unique possibility. Collection can easily be performed on large groups of healthy individuals and respiratory patients, thus providing enough power for case control omics studies designed for discovery of new biomarker candidates.
In addition to the BE Device, the Breath Explor concept includes collaborative robot automation and the tools and disposables needed for manual preparation.
Breath Explor is a Swedish invention.