Breath gas analysis is a promising tool for medical research and diagnosis. A particularly powerful technological approach is millimeter-wave/terahertz (mmW/THz) spectroscopy, because it is a very sensitive and highly selective technique. In addition, it offers the potential for compact and affordable sensing systems for wide use. In this work, we demonstrate the capability of a mmW/THz spectrometer for breath analysis. Samples from three volunteers and a sample from ambient air were analyzed with respect to 31 different molecular species. High-resolution absorption spectra were measured by scanning two absorption lines from each species. Out of the 31, a total of 21 species were detected. The results demonstrate the potential of mmW/THz spectroscopy for breath analysis.
- Rothbart, N.
- Holz, O.
- Koczulla, R.
- Schmalz, K.
- Hubers, H. W.
Keywords
- Breath Tests/*methods
- Electromagnetic Phenomena
- Gases/*analysis
- Humans
- Refractometry/methods
- Terahertz Spectroscopy/*methods
- breath analysis
- gas sensing
- millimeter-wave
- molecular spectroscopy
- spectroscopy
- terahertz
