Question: What do you do with the results from the breath sampler?

Waqar Ahmed answered on 17 Jun 2016:

Hi Kieran

So when we get a sample of breath from the breath sampler, we then measure the chemicals in the breath sample using thermal desorption and mass spectrometry. Thermal desorption is when the breath sample is heated to more than 280 degrees celcius, which breaks off the chemicals from the sorbent. We then use mass spectrometry which measures these chemicals. Once we know what chemicals, and how much pf them there are, we can relate them to diseases or infections – because when someone has a disease like cancer, their breath chemicals are different or can change in amount