Planned Products
Invoy plans to sell a breath analyzer to physicians or medical professionals who may desire to monitor diabetics, and individuals struggling to lose weight for medical reasons. Unlike blood tests, which are painful, Invoy’s breath solution is rapid and painless, and is also conducive to point-of-care use. Thereafter, the breath analyzer is planned to be available by prescription.
Clinical Need
Invoy’s breath analyzer will measure acetone and at least one other analyte in human breath. Invoy plans to release the name of the second target analyte planned for measurement in mid-2010.
Acetone is a chemical compound that belongs to a class of molecules called ketones. There are three primary ketones in the human body, two of which remain in the bloodstream and one of which is exhaled. Because acetone is volatile (it evaporates easily), it evaporates into alveolar air when the blood is exposed to the alveoli, and hence it is present in human breath. It is important to note that ketones are present in healthy humans at certain normal concentration levels. It is when the ketone (like acetone) concentration is elevated that pathology is indicated.
Ketones such as breath acetone provide a supplementary or substitute form of energy that can be used during various metabolic states including stress, starvation, caloric regulation, or pathology.
Patients in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) commonly experience symptoms such as nausea, fatigue, and rapid breathing. They also emit a fruity odor in their breath, which is distinct and attributable to acetone. Acetone is a volatile ketone released into alveolar air. If left untreated, DKA can result in coma or even death. However, DKA often is preventable if ketone levels are monitored and treatment is sought when ketone counts are high.
Ketone monitoring also is becoming recognized as a tool for nutritionists and health care professionals to monitor fat metabolism during dieting. Obesity has become increasingly prevalent and has recently reached epidemic levels. Consequently, it is of great concern to healthcare professionals. Much effort has been invested in treating obesity and promoting healthy weight loss programs for obese individuals. For treatment of obesity, a sensor that measures fat burning would permit patients, doctors, and nutritionists to monitor fat metabolism. Studies have correlated breath acetone to fat metabolism during a calorie deficit. For example, Abbott Labs performed a study in the early 1990s in which it established that breath acetone correlates to dietary fat loss as measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis.
Technology
Invoy has developed a number of proprietary technologies. One of Invoy’s platform technologies is built around a class of sensors known as thermoelectric sensors, which are highly sensitive temperature detectors. One example of such a temperature detector is a thermopile. A thermopile is made of at least two dissimilar materials, usually metals, fused together at bimetallic junctions. The thermopile is inherently differential, with a sensing portion and a reference portion. A temperature difference between the sensing and reference junctions generates an electrical voltage that is proportional to the temperature difference.
How can a thermopile function as a chemical sensor? Chemical reactions generate heat. Thus, an interactant is immobilized on the sensing junctions of the thermopile. When an analyte of interest (e.g., a compound in human breath) passes over the sensor, it reacts with the interactant and generates heat, which is converted into an electrical output.
One of the exciting aspects of this technology is its advantages. Thermopiles are basically two metals patterned onto a substrate and, as such, can be fabricated very inexpensively. The response and recovery time of the sensor is very short, allowing users to get feedback within seconds.