We at DBI open up new avenues for precision medicine with state-of-the-art breath analysis.
Technology
Breath Analysis for the Future of Healthcare
DBI combines high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) with advanced machine learning (ML) techniques to provide a powerful platform of state-of-the-art breath analysis for medical research and daily clinical practice.
News
Our Solution
We at DBI provide a holistic solution for state-of-the-art breath analysis to take precision medicine to the next level and improve people’s health. Our interdisciplinary approach brings expertise in the following areas:
Clinical
Study design, study protocol, ethics and
integrated CRF
Bioinformatics & data science
EP patent application 20 18 6274.5 and machine learning
Therapeutic guidance
DBI-EPIbreath® test – drug monitoring and risk prediction in epilepsy
Technical & analytical
Standard operating procedures for third-party instruments
Data management
Secure data transfer and storage on cloud
Breath Analysis
Breath analysis uses techniques to identify volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the exhaled breath to gain insights into the current state of the metabolism of an individual. As the body naturally produces exhaled breath, it can be collected non-invasively and as often as desired.
Exhaled breath provides a breadth of information about the wellbeing and clinical status of an individual, because some of the metabolites, small molecules resulting from biochemical processes within the body, are exhaled in volatile form. This information can be used for diagnosis and treatment decisions across a variety of clinical applications.
We at DBI combine real-time breath analysis of VOCs with unique ML solutions to take precision medicine to the next level and improve people’s health.
Measurement Technology
Analyzing VOCs requires very high selectivity and sensitivity because VOCs constitute only 0.1% of exhaled breath. To analyze VOCs with HRMS, the molecules of the exhaled breath need to be charged (ionized), so that they can be separated and detected by the mass spectrometer.
We use a combination of the Q Exactive Plus Orbitrap HRMS (Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA), Super-SESI and Exhalion (both Fossiliontech, Spain) for analysis of the ionized breath molecules. This combination provides real-time results with highest selectivity and sensitivity.
SESI-HRMS
It is necessary to charge or ionize the molecules so that they can be separated by the HRMS. Secondary Electrospray Ionization (SESI) is an ionization technique that was first described in 1986 by Professor John B. Fenn (Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2002). It is ideal for real-time breath analysis:
- gas phase metabolites are ionized at trace concentrations (low parts per trillion range)
- high sensitivity allows for the detection of low volatility species
- most of the molecules are protonated (+) or deprotonated (-)
- very little in-source fragmentation
The HRMS mass-analyzes the ionized molecules in real-time with high resolution (> 100,000) and high mass accuracy (< 2 ppm). HRMS allows for structural elucidation of exhaled metabolites (as opposed to just patterns), enabling subsequent biochemical interpretation.
The ionized elements will follow the deflection and oscillate at their mass-specific frequency in the orbitrap.
Machine Learning
We at DBI bring together professional data management services and cutting-edge ML techniques to enable high-quality data analysis and interpretation.
Our data science team brings great expertise in ML and neural networks to maximize data’s potential. We provide full-cycle support in data processing, data governance, data sharing, data analysis, and data visualization.