Rapid diagnosis of bacterial infection via volatile organic compounds in patient breath

Sensors to detect volatile organic compounds

Early diagnosis of the specific type of bacterial infection is critical in improving clinical outcomes: early initiation of appropriate antibiotic therapy lowers morbidity, mortality, and overall cost. Unfortunately, diagnosis of bacterial infection is challenging as patients often deteriorate before the causative organism is identified. The goal of this project was to significantly improve time to diagnosis of bacterial infection using electronic chips containing millions of unique gas sensors that detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in patient breath.