Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
  • A61B5/08—Measuring devices for evaluating the respiratory organs
  • A61B5/097—Devices for facilitating collection of breath or for directing breath into or through measuring devices

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for receiving exhaled breath and collecting exhaled breath condensate
• Exhaled breath condensate ⁇ from a human or animal subject can provide important information regarding the state of health and metabolic efficiency of the lungs, respiratory tracts and other organs of the subject
• the condensate may also be analysed to determine exhaled foreign substances
• WO 95/31721 describes a process and device for collecting exhaled breath condensate
• the exhaled breath passes into a collecting tube which is cooled to a temperature below 0 0 C
• the liquid and soluble components condense out and freeze on the inner wall of the sample collecting tube
• a collection receptacle for receiving exhaled breath and collecting exhaled breath condensate
• the receptacle comprising an outer cylinder having a sealed end, an inner cylinder having an inlet at a first end for receiving exhaled breath and an outlet at a second end, the inner cylinder being housed at least partially within the outer cylinder, the outlet of the inner cylinder being located toward the sealed end of the outer cylinder, wherein, in use, exhaled breath passes through the inlet, along the inner cylinder, through the outlet and along the outer cylinder, and condensate forms at least on the inside of the outer cylinder
• the inner and outer cylinders are adapted to be used concomitantly in a centrifuge to accumulate the condensate in the bottom of the outer cylinder
• Cent ⁇ fuging the condensate deposited on the outer and inner cylinder concomitantly that is, at the same time or concurrently, advantageously increases the amount of exhaled breath condensate that may be collected by the receptacle and thus increases the effectiveness of the method and the apparatus used, particularly for small exhaled breath volumes
• the structure of the collection receptacle, with inner and outer cylinders provides a large surface area on which exhaled breath condensate may form Because the inner cylinder is housed at least partially within the outer cylinder, a surface area longer than the length of the collection receptacle is provided
• the condensate may additionally form on the inside of the inner cylinder
• the condensate may additionally form on the outside of the inner cylinder
• the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder are of circular cross section
• the cross section of the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder may be any shape and need not be the same shape
• the receptacle comprises a vent in the outer cylinder
• the vent is located at the non-sealed end of the outer cylinder The vent provides an escape route for displaced air and any non-condensed breath
• the collection receptacle further comprises an inlet pipe for connection to the inlet of the inner cylinder
• the inlet pipe may be easily connected to other apparatus, including, but not limited to, a human or animal subject mouthpiece
• the inner cylinder is removable from the outer cylinder This allows easy access to the sealed end of the outer cylinder
• the inner cylinder is removed from the outer cylinder after cent ⁇ fugation to easily access the accumulated condensate in the outer cylinder This may also be useful for cleaning
• the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are glass Glass is advantageous because it conveys heat well Therefore, the collection receptacle can be easily cooled to improve collection of the condensate In addition, glass can be easily cleaned Alternatively, the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder could be aluminium or copper
• the outer cylinder has the dimensions of a standard centrifuge tube This advantageously simplifies the centrifugation of the condensate
• a method for receiving exhaled breath and collecting exhaled breath condensate comprising the steps of providing a collection receptacle comprising an outer cylinder having a sealed end and an inner cylinder having an inlet at a first end and an outlet at a second end, the inner cylinder being housed at least partially within the outer cylinder, with the outlet of the inner cylinder located toward the sealed end of the outer cylinder, passing exhaled breath through the inlet, along the inner cylinder, through the outlet and along the outer cylinder, and collecting condensate formed at least on the inside of the outer cylinder, wherein the step of collecting the condensate comprises centrifuging the collection receptacle
• apparatus for receiving exhaled breath and collecting exhaled breath condensate
• the apparatus comprising a collection receptacle for receiving exhaled breath, the collection receptacle comprising at least one outer wall, a cooling block for at least partially receiving the collection receptacle such that, when the collection receptacle is at least partially received within the cooling block, an outer surface of the at least one outer wall is in contact with the cooling block and an inner surface of the at least one outer wall is in contact with the exhaled breath Direct contact between the cooling block and the wall in contact with the exhaled breath provides efficient heat transfer, thus accelerating condensation
• the apparatus further comprises a Peltier element having a cold face and a hot face, and a heat sink, wherein the cold face of the Peltier element is in contact with the cooling block, and the hot face of the Peltier element is in contact with the heat sink
• the cooling block is aluminium
• the cooling block could be stainless steel, brass, copper, nickel, titanium or any combination thereof
• the collection receptacle comprises a receptacle according to the first aspect of the invention
• a method for receiving exhaled breath and collecting exhaled breath condensate comprising the steps of providing a collection receptacle accommodated at least partially within a cooling block, such that an outer surface of a wall of the collection receptacle is in contact with the cooling block and an inner surface of the wall of the collection receptacle is in contact with the exhaled breath, passing exhaled breath into the collection receptacle, and collecting condensate formed at least on the inner surface of the wall of the collection receptacle
• Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of an assembled breath condenser according to one embodiment of the invention
• Figure 2a is a vertical sectional view of the cooling block of Figure 1
• Figure 2b is a plan view of the cooling block of Figure 1
• Figure 3a is a side view of the Peltier element of Figure 1
• Figure 3b is a plan view of the Peltier element of Figure 1
• Figure 4a shows an embodiment of the collection receptacle, disassembled into its three component parts
• Figure 4b shows the collection receptacle of Figure 4a, assembled for use
• Figure 5 is a side view of one exemplary assembly of the breath condenser and collection receptacle set up for use with a subject mouthpiece
• Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of one exemplary embodiment of apparatus in the form of breath condenser 100
• the breath condenser 100 comprises housing 101 including front panel 103, cooling unit 105, temperature controller 107, power input 109 and power supply 1 1 1 1
• the front panel 103 includes power switch 103a, timer 103b and temperature control input 103c
• the power switch 103a is connected to the power supply 1 1 1 for switching the power on and off
• the timer with alarm allows good control of the sample collection duration.
• the temperature controller is connected to and controlled via the temperature control input 103c
• the cooling unit 105 comprises cooling block 105a, Peltier element 105b, heat sink 105c and ventilator 105d, plus insulation 105e
• the cooling block 105a will be described in further detail with reference to Figures 2a and 2b
• the Peltier element 105b will be described in further detail with reference to Figures 3a and 3b
• the power supply 1 11 is connected to the cooling unit 105 and the temperature controller 107
• the temperature controller 107 is also connected to the cooling unit 105
• the breath condenser 100 is arranged to work with a collection receptacle (not shown in Figure 1 )
• the collection receptacle will be described in detail with reference to Figures 4a and 4b
• the cooling unit 105 comprises cooling block 105a, Peltier element
• FIGs 2a and 2b show the cooling block 105a in more detail
• Figure 2a is a vertical sectional view of the cooling block
• Figure 2b is a plan view of the cooling block
• the cooling block 105a comprises a body 201 having two openings 203 and 205
• the opening 203 is designed to receive a collection receptacle in which exhaled breath condensate may be collected
• a collection receptacle is described below with reference to Figures 4a and 4b
• the opening 205 is designed to receive a temperature probe
• the cooling block is formed from aluminium
• any suitable material with good heat transfer characteristics could be used including, but not limited to, stainless steel, brass, copper, nickel and titanium
• Figures 3a and 3b show the Peltier element 105b in more detail
• Figure 3a is a side view of the Peltier element
• Figure 3b is a plan view of the Peltier element
• a Peltier element is a solid state heat pump that utilises the Peltier effect During operation, DC current flows through the Peltier element, which causes heat to be transferred from one side of the element to the other Therefore, a temperature differential is set up between the two faces of the Peltier element
• the Peltier element 105b in this embodiment comprises a cool face 301 and a hot face 303
• the terms “cool” and “hot” are relative terms and refer to the relative temperatures of the two faces 301 , 303
• the Peltier element is electrically connected to the temperature controller for current, and hence temperature, adjustment
• the heat sink and ventilator are standard components, used to extract heat from the hot face of the Peltier element This is done by circulating ambient air through the heat sink
• the ventilator is exposed outside the housing (see Figures 1 and 5)
• the ventilator draws in ambient air
• the heat sink is also exposed outside the housing (see Figure 5)
• the exposed portion of the heat sink allows heat to escape into the surroundings
• the cooling block 105a is surrounded by insulation 105e This is to increase the efficiency of the cooling unit
• cooling unit 105 is connected to temperature controller 107
• the temperature controller 107 is controlled via temperature control input 103c on front panel 103
• the temperature controller may be a standard component
• the temperature controller is a Series 6100 temperature controller, designed by West Temperature
• the power supply 11 1 which is connected to both the cooling unit 105 and the temperature controller 107, may be a standard component
• the power supply is a TOL 150-12 Series power supply, designed by Traco Power
• a collection receptacle is positioned in the opening 203 of cooling block 105a
• the outer surface of the collection receptacle is in contact with the inner surface of opening 203
• the inlet of the collection receptacle is connected to a source of exhaled breath, for example a mouthpiece
• a temperature probe is positioned in the opening 205
• the diameter of opening 205 substantially matches the diameter of the temperature probe, so that a close fit is formed between the temperature probe and the opening
• the temperature probe is connected to the temperature controller
• the entire cooling block 105a is insulated by the insulation 105e
• the cool face of the Peltier element 105b is in contact with the cooling block 105a
• the hot face of the Peltier element 105b is in contact with the heat sink 105c
• the heat sink 105c is connected to the ventilator 105d
• the Peltier element is electrically connected to the temperature controller
• the temperature controller controls the flow of current through the Peltier element and the operation of the heat sink and ventilator, to control the temperature differential between the two faces 301 , 303 of the Peltier element
• the temperature is monitored via the temperature probe
• a user can set the required temperature of the cooling block, using temperature control panel 103c It has been found that a temperature differential of up to 65 0 C can be established between the two faces of the Peltier element
• the collection receptacle is cooled because it is in contact with the cooling block
• the cooling block is, in turn, in contact with the cold face of the Peltier element
• Figures 4a and 4b show one exemplary embodiment of a collection receptacle for use with the breath condenser shown in Figure 1
• the collection receptacle is arranged to receive exhaled breath and collect exhaled breath condensate
• the collection receptacle comprises three component parts
• Figure 4a shows the three component parts of the collection receptacle separately
• Figure 4b shows the three component parts of the collection receptacle, assembled ready for use
• the collection receptacle comprises an outer cylinder in the form of collector tube 401 , an inner cylinder in the form of guide tube 403 and an inlet pipe in the form of inlet tube 405
• all three component parts are made from glass This is advantageous because glass will cool quickly when it comes into contact with the low- temperature cooling block In addition, glass is easily cleaned
• any suitable material could be used, including, but not limited to aluminium and copper
• the inlet tube 405 is used to connect the guide tube 403 to other apparatus including, but not limited to, a mouthpiece for a human or animal subject
• a close fit is formed between the outer surface of the inlet tube 405 and the inner surface of the guide tube 403
• the guide tube 403 has two functions Firstly, it acts to guide the exhaled breath received via the inlet tube 405, to the bottom of the collector tube 401 Secondly, it provides additional surface area on which condensate can collect Thus, although condensate will primarily collect on the inner surface of the collector tube 401 , condensate will also collect on one or both of the inner surface and outer surface of the guide tube 403 In this embodiment, when the guide tube is placed within the collector tube, as shown in Figure 4b, a close fit is formed between the outer surface of the guide tube and the inner surface of the collector tube
• the collector tube 401 is used to collect the exhaled breath condensate
• the collector tube 401 includes a vent in the form of outlets 401a These serve as outlets for any non-condensed breath and provide an escape route for displaced air
• the vent could be formed in a variety of ways
• the guide tube and collector tube may cooperate to provide a vent at their connection point, rather than cooperating to form a close fit
• the entire collection receptacle (collector tube, guide tube and inlet tube) is positioned within the cooling block
• the opening 203 in the cooling block is therefore of an appropriate size and shape for the collection receptacle It is important that the collection receptacle fits closely within the opening so that the collector tube outer surface is in contact with the opening inner surface
• the inlet tube 405 is connected to a source of exhaled breath, for example a patient mouthpiece
• the collection receptacle, in particular the collector tube cools because it is in contact with the cooling block Exhaled breath follows
• Figure 5 is a side view of one exemplary assembly of the breath condenser and collection receptacle set up for use with a human subject mouthpiece
• the collection receptacle 400 is positioned in the cooling block (not shown), within the breath condenser 100
• Teflon tubing 501 is connected to the inlet tube of the collection receptacle 400 At the other end of the Teflon tubing 501 , a mouthpiece 503 is connected The mouthpiece 503 and Teflon tubing 501 are secured to the condenser with clamp 505 Thus, the subject can exhale into the mouthpiece and the exhaled breath passes through the Teflon tubing into the collection receptacle for collection of exhaled breath condensate
• the breath condenser and collection receptacle may also be set up to collect animal subject exhaled breath In that case, the principle of collection is the same, but the attachment to the inlet tube may be different

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Medical Informatics (AREA)
• Molecular Biology (AREA)
• Pulmonology (AREA)
• Biophysics (AREA)
• Pathology (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
• Physiology (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Surgery (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Sampling And Sample Adjustment (AREA)
• Investigating Or Analysing Biological Materials (AREA)
• Centrifugal Separators (AREA)

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• 2008
  • 2008-11-21 JP JP2010534563A patent/JP5372949B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2008-11-21 WO PCT/IB2008/003528 patent/WO2009066176A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2008-11-21 EP EP08851238A patent/EP2227142A2/de not_active Withdrawn

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