On-site microextraction technologies for the comprehensive investigation of breath composition in lung cancer patients

Abstract

Breath composition analysis is a fast and non-invasive alternative to commonly used methods of detecting lung cancer, such as biopsy. One issue in the study of breath composition is the availability of appropriate sampling and sample-preparation methods that are able to fully capture the gas and droplet phases of exhaled breath. In this article, we detail the application of a filter-incorporated needle-trap device (NTD) to capture gaseous compounds and droplets in breath samples. In addition, a thin-film microextraction method was also employed to conduct extractions from only the gas phase. In comparing the NTD (total concentration) and TFME (free concentration) results, it is possible to obtain a more comprehensive view of the sample, as this approach captures both the free and droplet-bound concentrations, which can in turn provide a better characterization of the cancer. Furthermore, the developed devices were applied for the on-site sampling of lung cancer patients. The complete interpretation of the results and their relationship to the state of the disease and patient health status requires a large cohort of patients and considerable medical expertise; therefore, this study focuses on method development and the application of the proposed device for fast and sensitive on-site detection of biomarkers in patients.