Point-of-care detection of sevoflurane anesthetics in exhaled breath using a miniature TOFMS for diagnosis of postoperative agitation symptoms in children

Abstract

A miniature TOFMS with MEPEI has been developed for POC diagnosis of postoperative agitation symptoms, and can analyze sevoflurane by direct sampling. The risk is high when the sevoflurane in the exhaled breath is higher than 500 ppmv.

Miniature mass spectrometers and their potential for clinical point‐of‐care analysis

“…For example, a portable quadrupole mass spectrometer has been used for diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori by carbon‐13 urea breath test (Sreekumar et al, 2015). A magnetic field enhanced photoelectron ionization (MEPEI) miniature time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer (TOFMS) (Figure 9C) was developed by Hou et al to online monitor anesthetic in operation (Liu, Tang, et al, 2022). The MEPEI source can directly ionize sevoflurane via capillary sampling and obtain its characteristic ion [C 4 H 3 F 6 O] + ( m / z 181), and the EB analysis time is only 60 s. In their experiments, they found that four of the 46 child patients had agitation symptoms.…”

“…Adapted with permission from Ref. Liu, Tang, et al (2022). EB, exhaled breath; MEPEI, magnetic field enhanced photoelectron ionization; POC, point‐of‐care; TOFMS, time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer.…”