• 세라미스트
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.38-48
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• 2018

This paper reports a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art in research on the enhancement of sensing properties for the detection of gases in exhaled breath. Daily health monitoring and early diagnosis of specific diseases via the analysis of exhaled breath is possible. Because biomarkers in exhaled breath are emitted in a very small amount, it is necessary to develop highly sensitive gas sensors. In recent years, a number of researches have been carried out using various strategies for the enhancement of sensing properties such as doping, catalyst, hollow sphere, heterojunction, size effect. We introduced each strategy and summarized recent progress on sensing properties for detection of biomarkers in exhaled breath.

• 센서학회지
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.219-222
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• 2013

The exhaled breath contains gases generated from human body. When disease occurs in the body, exhaled breath may include gas components released from disease metabolism. If we can find specific elements through analysis of the exhaled gases, this approach is an effective way to diagnose the disease. The lung function has a close relationship with exhalation. Exhaled gases from COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) patients can be analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) and a gas sensor system. The exhaled breath for healthy person and COPD patients had different components. Significantly more benzendicarboxylic acid was detected from COPD patients than in healthy persons. In addition, patients had a variety of decane. Phosphorous compounds with different isomers were detected from patients. The results obtained by gas sensor system were processed by PCA (Principal Component Analysis). The PCA results revealed distinct difference between the patients and healthy people.

• ETRI Journal
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• 제40권6호
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• pp.802-812
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• 2018

Disease discrimination using an electronic nose is achieved by measuring the presence of a specific gas contained in the exhaled breath of patients. Many studies have reported the presence of acetone in the breath of diabetic patients. These studies suggest that acetone can be used as a biomarker of diabetes, enabling diagnoses to be made by measuring acetone levels in exhaled breath. In this study, we perform a chemical sensor array optimization to improve the performance of an electronic nose system using Wilks' lambda, sensor selection based on a principal component (B4), and a stepwise elimination (SE) technique to detect the presence of acetone gas in human breath. By applying five different temperatures to four sensors fabricated from different synthetic materials, a total of 20 sensing combinations are created, and three sensing combinations are selected for the sensor array using optimization techniques. The measurements and analyses of the exhaled breath using the electronic nose system together with the optimized sensor array show that diabetic patients and control groups can be easily differentiated. The results are confirmed using principal component analysis (PCA).

• 센서학회지
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.1-9
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• 2023

Recently, the digital healthcare technologies including non-invasive diagnostics based on Internet of Things (IOT) are getting attention. Human exhaled breath contains a variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can provide information of malfunctions of the body and presence of a specific disease. Detection of VOCs in exhaled breath using gas sensors are easy to use, safe, and cost-effective. However, accurate diagnosis of diseases is challenging because changes in concentration of VOCs are extremely small and lots of body factors directly or indirectly influence to the conditions. To overcome the limitations, highly selective nanosensors and artificial intelligent electronic nose (E-nose) systems have been mainly researched in recent decades. This review provides brief reviews of the recent studies for diabetes and lung cancer diagnosis using nanosensors and E-nose systems.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.329-337
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• 2010

Inhaled inorganic dusts, such as coal, can cause inflammation and fibrosis in the lungs, known as pneumoconiosis. Diagnosis of pneumoconiosis depends on morphological changes by radiological findings and functional change by pulmonary function test (PFT). Unfortunately, current diagnostic findings are limited only to lung fibrosis, which is usually irreversibly progressive. Therefore, it is important that research on potential and prospective biomarkers for pneumoconiosis should be conducted prior to initiation of irreversible radiological or functional changes in the lungs. Analytical techniques using exhaled breath condensate (EBC) or exhaled gas are non-invasive methods for detection of various respiratory diseases. The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between inflammatory biomarkers, such as EBC pH or fractional exhaled nitric oxide ($FE_{NO}$), and pneumoconiosis among 120 retired coal miners (41 controls and 79 pneumoconiosis patients). Levels of EBC pH and FENO did not show a statistically significant difference between the pneumoconiosis patient group and pneumoconiosis patients with small opacity classified by International Labor Organization (ILO) classification. The mean concentration of $FE_{NO}$ in the low percentage $FEV_1$ (< 80%) was lower than that in the high percentage (80% $\leq$) (p = 0.023). The mean concentration of $FE_{NO}$ in current smokers was lower than that in non smokers (never or past smokers) (p = 0.027). Although there was no statistical significance, the levels of $FE_{NO}$ in smokers tended to decrease, compared with non smokers, regardless of pneumoconiosis. In conclusion, there was no significant relationship between the level of EBC pH or $FE_{NO}$ and radiological findings or PFT. The effects between exhaled biomarkers and pneumoconiosis progression, such as decreasing PFT and exacerbation of radiological findings, should be monitored.

• 센서학회지
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• 제20권5호
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• pp.300-304
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• 2011

Exhaled breath gases include gases generated in the body. When there is disease in the body, exhalation can include gas components from the disease. If we can find these specific elements through analysis of the exhalation gases, this can be an effective way to diagnose the disease. The lung has a close relationship with exhalation. Lung cancer refers to malignant tumors which originate in the lungs. Exhalation from the lung causes direct jets of gas to be ejected through the mouth and nose, so by analyzing these jets it may be possible to diagnose lung cancer. In our study we attempt to diagnose lung cancer from patient's exhaled gases. Exhalation of lung cancer patients was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy(GC-MS) and the expiratory gas was also measured using a sensor system. The system was designed to use a metal oxide sensor and solid phase micro extraction(SPME) fiber. The GC-MS analysis of the healthy subject's and cancer patient's exhalation gases both showed the presence of decane in the breath of patients with lung cancer. In addition, the results from the sensor system showed significant difference between the lung cancer patients and the healthy subjects.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.125-133
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• 2002

Volatile disinfection by-products (DBPs) contained in chlorinated tap water are released into household air during indoor activities (showering, cooking, dish -washing, etc.) associated with tap water uses and may cause adverse health effects on humans. Twenty seven subjects were recruited and their homes were visited during the winter of 2002. Tap water, household air, and exhaled breath samples were collected and analyzed for five volatile DBPs (chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dichloroacetonitrile, 1,1 -dichloropropanone and 1,1,1 trichloropropanone). Chloroform was a major DBP found in most samples. Tap water chloroform concentrations were not statistically correlated with its household air concentrations, probably due to individual variability in indoor activities such as showering, cooking, and dish - washing as well as household ventilation. Correlation of breath chloroform concentration with household air chloroform concentration showed its possible use as a biomarker of exposure to household air chloroform. Exposure estimates suggested that inhalation during household stay be a major route of exposure to volatile DBPs and that ingestion of tap water be a trivial contributor to the total exposure in Koreans.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제5권2호
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• pp.91-96
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• 2014

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important cause of occupational mortality in miners exposed to coal mine dust. Although the inflammatory mediators involved in COPD have not been defined, many studies have shown that inflammatory mediators such as reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are involved in orchestrating the complex inflammatory process in COPD. Methods: To investigate the relevance of exhaled biomarkers of oxidative and nitrosative stress in participants with COPD, we determined the levels of hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde (MDA), and 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) in 90 retired elderly coal miners (53 non-COPD and 37 COPD participants). Results: Mean levels of MDA (4.64 nMvs. 6.46 nM, p = 0.005) and 3-NT (3.51 nMvs. 5.50 nM, p = 0.039) in EBC were significantly higher in participants with COPD. The median level of MDA did show statistical difference among the COPD severities (p = 0.017), and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve forMDA (0.67) for the diagnostic discrimination of COPD indicated the biomarker. The optimal cutoff values were 5.34 nM (64.9% sensitivity and 64.2% specificity) and 5.58 nM (62.2% sensitivity and 62.3% specificity) forMDA and 3-NT, respectively. The results suggest that high levels ofMDA and 3-NT in EBC are associated with COPD in retired elderly miners. Conclusion: These results showed that the elevated levels of EBC MDA and EBC 3-NT in individuals with COPD are biomarkers of oxidative or nitrosative stress.

• 센서학회지
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.249-255
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• 2013

Gas-sensor array technology, which has been much utilized in the field of food technology by the name of 'electronic nose' is drawing attention in diagnosing lung cancer based on the analysis of the exhaled human breath. Much understanding has been accomplished about the composition of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the human exhaled breath, in spite of some variations depending on research groups due mainly to lack of the standardization of the sensing procedures. Since VOCs may be produced during the process of cellular metabolism, difference in the cellular metabolism between healthy cells and lung cancer cells are expected to be reflected on the composition variation of the exhaled VOCs. Several studies have attempted to apply the gas-sensor array technology to lung cancer analysis using many different types of sensors including metal oxide, carbon black-polymer composite, surface acoustic wave, and gold nanoparticles. In this mini-review VOC as biomarkers, sensor array technology and application of the array technology for the diagnosis of cancer disease have been described.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제56권10호
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• pp.424-430
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• 2013

Exhaled nitric oxide (NO) has been extensively investigated as a noninvasive marker of airway inflammation in asthma. The increased NO expression induced by inflammatory mediators in airways can be monitored easily in exhaled air from asthmatic children. Based on the relationship between the increased NO expression and eosinophilic airway inflammation, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) measurements become an important adjunct for the evaluation of asthma. In addition, the availability of portable devices makes it possible to measure FeNO more easily and frequently in the routine pediatric practice. Despite various confounding factors affecting its levels, FeNO can be applicable in diagnosing asthma, monitoring treatment response, evaluating asthma control, and predicting asthma exacerbations. Thus, although pulmonary function tests are the standard tools for objective measurements of asthmatic control, FeNO can broaden the way of asthma monitoring and supplement standard clinical asthma care guidelines.