Knowledge bite #5: Measuring. Made simple

How do we make breath tests … breathtaking?

In our latest Knowledge Bite video, Karolina Milenko-Kuszewska, research scientist at SINTEF, and Satadal Dutta, RespiQ’s tech lead, explain how the Breath-Sense technology is able to detect and measure biomarkers in human breath in just a few minutes.

At the heart of the devices is a method called Optical Emission Spectroscopy, powered by the tiny plasma chip we introduced in Knowledge Bite #4.

What does that actually mean? When a breath sample enters the device, the microchip excites the molecules within the breath, causing them to emit light. Each type of molecule gives off light at highly specific wavelengths. This unique light “fingerprint” is then captured and analysed by a spectrometer.

While this may sound easy, identifying these signals is no simple task. As Satadal explains, detecting biomarkers is like spotting a slightly different grain of rice in a bag of millions … and all in just a few minutes! To make this possible, Breath-Sense combines advanced chip technology, precise gas flow control, high-accuracy optical measurement, and powerful artificial intelligence.

The result? With Breath-Sense, we can identify and quantify biomarkers with impressive precision.

As simple as a breath.