Breath test analyzer

Abstract

A breath test analyzer, which analyzes exhaled breadths of a patient for isotope labeled products generated in the patient's body after ingestion by the patient of an isotope labeled substance, where the presence of these isotope labeled products provide an indication of a medical condition in the patient. The analyzer uses a very sensitive infra-red spectrophotometer, which enables it to continuously collect and analyze multiple samples of the patient's breath, and process the outputs in real time, while the patient is still connected to the analyzer, such that a definitive result is obtained within a short time, such as the order of a few minutes. The breath test analyzer is sufficiently small in that it can be easily accommodated in the office of a physician. The breath test analyzer can be utilized for a number of diagnostic breath tests, according to the isotope labeled substance ingested by the patient and the gases detected in the patient's breath.

1. A method of breath testing in which samples collected from exhaled breaths of a subject are analyzed by means of an analyzer, for a product of an isotopically labeled substance ingested by said subject, and comprising the steps of:
 performing a first analyzing of a first sample collected from at least a first exhaled breath of said subject;  
 performing a second analyzing of a second sample collected from at least a second exhaled breath of said subject, at least said second sample being collected following the subject's ingestion of said substance; and  
 providing an indication of a change in the level of said isotope labeled product in said second sample, while said subject is coupled to said analyzer.  
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said first sample collected from at least a first exhaled breath of a subject and said sample collected from at least a second exhaled breath of said subject is at least one essentially complete exhaled breath of said subject. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first sample is collected prior to the subject's ingestion of the isotopically labeled substance, and the second sample is collected following the subject's ingestion of said isotopically labeled substance. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein both the first and second samples are collected following the subject's ingestion of said isotopically labeled substance. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said second sample is exhaled following analysis of said first sample. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , and further comprising the step of coupling the subject to the analyzer substantially continuously from the analyzing of said first sample to the analyzing of said second sample. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , and further comprising the step of coupling the subject to the analyzer substantially continuously from the collection of said first sample to the collection of said second sample. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subject is coupled to said analyzer by means of a nasal cannula. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first analyzing of said subject's exhaled breath takes place prior to said product being detectable in said subject's breath and the second analyzing of said subject's exhaled breath takes place once said product could be detectable in said subject's breath. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , and further comprising the step of determining that said test has a clinically significant outcome in accordance with the results of the ongoing analyses of said samples. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , characterized in that said samples are collected by means of a nasal cannula. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1  and further comprising the steps of:
 fitting the results of the analyzing of successive samples to a curve; and  
 determining from said curve whether said test has a clinically significant outcome.  
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12  wherein the derivative of said curve is used for said determining. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the collection of said samples is discontinued according to the results of the ongoing analyses of said samples. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the analyzing of said samples is discontinued according to the results of the ongoing analyses of said samples. 
     
     
       16. A method of breath testing comprising the steps of:
 collecting samples of a subject's exhaled breath substantially continually;  
 analyzing said samples of a subject's exhaled breath for a product of an isotope labeled substance ingested by said subject; and  
 providing an indication of the outcome of said analyzing in accordance with the results of the ongoing analyses of said breaths.  
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16  wherein said analyzing is performed substantially continually. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the step of providing an indication of the outcome of said analyzing comprises the step of determining changes in an isotopic ratio in said samples of exhaled breath. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 17 , wherein said samples of exhaled breath are substantially every successive breath. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 17 , wherein said samples of exhaled breath are frequent samples of collected breath. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 17 , and further comprising the step of coupling the subject to the analyzer. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21 , wherein the step of coupling the subject to said analyzer comprises the step of coupling the subject to said analyzer by means of a nasal cannula. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 17  and further comprising the steps of:
 fitting the results of the analyzing of successive samples to a curve; and  
 determining from said curve whether said test has a clinically significant outcome.  
 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the collection of said samples is discontinued according to the results of the ongoing analyses of said samples. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the analyzing of said samples is discontinued according to the results of the ongoing analyses of said samples. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the step of providing an indication of the outcome of said analyzing comprises the step of determining changes in an isotopic ratio in said samples of exhaled breath. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 16 , wherein said samples of exhaled breath are substantially every successive breath. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 16 , wherein said samples of exhaled breath are frequent samples of collected breath. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 16 , and further comprising the step of coupling the subject to the analyzer. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 29 , wherein the step of coupling the subject to said analyzer comprises the step of coupling the subject to said analyzer by means of a nasal cannula. 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 16  and further comprising the steps of:
 fitting the results of the analyzing of successive samples to a curve; and  
 determining from said curve whether said test has a clinically significant outcome.  
 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 31  wherein the derivative of said curve is used for said determining. 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the collection of said samples is discontinued according to the results of the ongoing analyses of said samples. 
     
     
       34. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the analyzing of said samples is discontinued according to the results of the ongoing analyses of said samples. 
     
     
       35. A breath test analyzer which substantially continually collects samples of a subject's exhaled breath for analysis for a product of an isotope labeled substance ingested by said subject, and determines that said test has a clinically significant outcome in accordance with the results of the ongoing analyses of said samples. 
     
     
       36. A breath test analyzer according to  claim 35  and comprising:
 a breath analysis chamber;  
 a breath inlet conduit for conveying said exhaled breath from said subject to said breath analysis chamber; and  
 a gas analyzer operative to analyze gas in said breath analysis chamber and to conduct a first analyzing of a first sample collected from at least a first exhaled breath of said subject, and a second analyzing of a second sample collected from at least a second exhaled breath of said subject, at least said second breath being collected following ingestion by the subject of said isotope labeled substance.  
 
     
     
       37. A breath test analyzer according to  claim 36 , wherein at least one of said first sample collected from at least first exhaled breath of a subject and said second sample collected from at least a second exhaled breath of said subject is at least one essentially complete exhaled breath of said subject. 
     
     
       38. A breath test analyzer according to  claim 36 , wherein the first sample is collected prior to the subject's ingestion of the isotopically labeled substance, and the second sample is collected following the subject's ingestion of said isotopically labeled substance. 
     
     
       39. A breath test analyzer according to  claim 36 , wherein both the first and the second samples are collected following the subject's ingestion of said isotopically labeled substance. 
     
     
       40. A breath test analyzer according to  claim 36 , wherein said second sample is exhaled following analysis of said first sample. 
     
     
       41. A breath test analyzer according to  claim 36  and further comprising a breath collection chamber and a gas conduit for conveying a sample of gas from said breath collection chamber to said breath analysis chamber. 
     
     
       42. A breath test analyzer according to  claim 41 , wherein said breath analysis chamber and said breath collection chamber are combined, such that the analyzing of said samples takes place within said breath collection chamber. 
     
     
       43. A breath test analyzer according to  claim 36 , and wherein said gas analyzer comprises a gas discharge tube gas analyzer. 
     
     
       44. A breath test analyzer according to  claim 36 , and wherein said gas analyzer comprises an infra-red source which emits a discontinuous spectrum. 
     
     
       45. A breath test analyzer which analyzes a first sample collected from at least a first exhaled breath of a subject and a second sample collected from at least a second exhaled breath of said subject for a product of an isotope labeled substance ingested by said subject, while the subject is coupled to the breath test analyzer. 
     
     
       46. A breath test analyzer according to  claim 45 , and comprising:
 a breath collection chamber;  
 a breath analysis chamber;  
 a breath inlet conduit for conveying said exhaled breath from said subject to said breath collection chamber;  
 a gas chamber for conveying a sample of gas from said breath collection chamber to said breath analysis chamber; and  
 a gas analyzer to analyze gas in said breath analysis chamber for said product of said isotope labeled substance ingested by said subject.  
 
     
     
       47. A breath test analyzer according to  claim 46 , wherein at least one of said first sample collected from at least a first exhaled breath of a subject and said second sample collected from at least a second exhaled breath of said subject is at least one essentially complete exhaled breath of said subject. 
     
     
       48. A breath test analyzer according to  claim 46 , wherein the first sample is collected prior to the subject's ingestion of the isotopically labeled substance, and the second sample is collected following the subject's ingestion of said isotopically labeled substance. 
     
     
       49. A breath test analyzer according to  claim 46 , wherein both the first and the second samples are collected following the subject's ingestion of said isotopically labeled substance. 
     
     
       50. A breath test analyzer according to  claim 46 , wherein said second sample is exhaled following analysis of said first sample. 
     
     
       51. A breath test analyzer according to  claim 46 , wherein said breath analysis chamber and said breath collection chamber are combined, such that the analyzing of said sample of gas takes place within said breath collection chamber. 
     
     
       52. A breath test analyzer according to  claim 46 , and wherein said gas analyzer comprises a gas discharge tube gas analyzer. 
     
     
       53. A breath test analyzer according to  claim 46 , and wherein said gas analyzer comprises an infra-red source which emits a discontinuous spectrum.