Breath-based point-of-care test to diagnose and monitor acute respiratory distress syndrome
Point-of-care micro-gas chromatography device for diagnosis and monitoring of acute respiratory distress syndrome using exhaled breath signatures
A small bedside breath analyzer will look for chemical patterns in exhaled air to detect and track ARDS in adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11263626 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would breathe (or have breath collected) into a portable micro-gas chromatography device at the bedside so the team can capture volatile molecules from your lungs over time. The device collects serial breath samples and measures hundreds of volatile organic and inorganic compounds, and the team will compare those breath patterns to clinical diagnoses and disease course. Machine-learning algorithms will be used to find signatures that distinguish ARDS from other causes of acute respiratory failure and to follow changes as the illness progresses. The project builds on early pilot data and aims to validate the device in a larger group of adult hospital patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (21+) hospitalized with suspected or confirmed ARDS or acute hypoxic respiratory failure who can provide breath samples or have breath collected at the bedside are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Children under 21, people whose conditions prevent safe breath sampling, or patients with diagnoses unrelated to lung inflammation may not benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could provide a fast, non-invasive way to detect ARDS earlier and monitor how the illness is changing to help guide treatment.
How similar studies have performed: Early pilot work with a prototype device found promising breath patterns that separated ARDS from other acute respiratory failure causes, but larger validation is still needed.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fan, Xudong — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Fan, Xudong
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.