Breath Analysis System for Detecting Breath Pattern Signature of COVID-19 v1

Abstract

The magnitude of how rapidly the COVID-19 virus could spread and infect others facilitated the need for a rapid COVID-19 test, accessible and affordable for both children and adults worldwide. As a result, an infected patient can quickly quarantine and isolate to slow the spread. Our research group has determined VOCs associated with COVID-19 and has built a prototype gas analysis system similar to a breathalyzer for detecting gasses of COVID-19. Some of the symptoms like headaches, coughing, and diarrhea result in an inflammatory response to create a unique variety of gasses like acetone, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide that can be detected when they are exhaled through a person's breath. A sample of a person's breath is first collected in a chamber when a patient breaths into the valve, the gas sensors then detect a voltage change when they contact a COVID-19 target gas. The concentration in parts-per-million is calculated based on the non-linear resistance ratio of the target gas and clean air. Log-based scale calculations and post-data processing calibrate the sensors to increase the accuracy and selectivity. Finally, the voltages and PPM of the target gas concentration data is stored in a computer database and sensor coding reveals the resulting breath pattern signature of COVID-19. At just under $15.00 United States Dollars (USD), test results are just a breath away, within seconds of taking the test and even before leaving the doctor's office. Although, this system may also be modified to sniff out other pathogens of disease, spoiled meats, and ripened fruit, we are dedicated to build a gas sensor platform for low cost, noninvasive, and rapid detection of the breath pattern signature of COVID-19, in an attempt to slow the spread of the global health threat of infection and in turn to help save lives. Breath analysis systems serve as a noninvasive means for disease screening. Our objective is to utilize this prototype to obtain a database of H2, CO, NO, Acetone and Alcohol concentrations, whereby, COVID patient breath samples are compared to healthy individual breath samples using our breath analysis system prototype. This system is configured for measuring the aforementioned gas concentrations in ppm and recording the data to a text file in a computer database for subsequent analysis. The data obtained from this study is critical to the development of this system.