bioecon Member area
Technology · Health & biomedicine / Diagnostics & medtech

Breathomics

Non-invasive breath analysis using VOC patterns for early diagnosis and continuous disease monitoring.

Risk: medium Diagnostics US · CN · EU Science: why it works → verified 2026-06-25 · 6 Sources (0 independent)

1 · What it gives

Breathomics is a revolutionary segment of preventive medicine and non-invasive biomonitoring based on the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled human breath. Exhaled air contains over 3000 unique VOCs produced by cellular metabolism, which diffuse from blood into the lungs. Using ultra-sensitive platforms like proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) and gas chromatography with ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS), it allows real-time detection at parts-per-trillion (ppt) concentrations. This instantaneous analysis enables annual cancer screening, continuous chemotherapy monitoring, and rapid respiratory infection detection.

The key directions of breath diagnostics are:

  1. Cancer Screening: Detection of methylated alkanes and oxidative stress products for early lung and breast cancer screening.
  2. Infectious Disease Diagnostics: Identification of bacterial pathogens such as tuberculosis and Helicobacter pylori using specific breathprints.
  3. Metabolic Disease Monitoring: Continuous tracking of ketones (acetone) for diabetes management and lipolysis assessment.
  4. Cardiopulmonary Assessment: Real-time monitoring of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) for asthma and heart failure evaluation.

Sectoral value chain#

[Sample Collection] ──> [VOC Preconcentration] ──> [Desorption] ──> [Chromatographic Separation]
                                                                        │
                                                                (Fractionation)
                                                                        │
                                                                        ▼
[Clinical Report] <─── [AI Biomarker Analysis] <─── [High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry]

Value chain levels#

LevelDescriptionKey inputs/outputs
Collection SystemsDevices isolating alveolar air from dead-space volumeIn: Exhaled air.
Out: Alveolar sample.
Sorbent CartridgesHydrophobic polymers (Tenax TA) capturing VOCs without moistureIn: Alveolar sample.
Out: VOC-loaded cartridge.
Thermal DesorptionHeating up to 300°C to release trapped VOCs into a carrier gasIn: Loaded cartridge.
Out: Concentrated VOC pulse.
SeparationCapillary columns dividing the gas mixture into fractionsIn: VOC pulse.
Out: Eluted fractions.
DetectionUltra-sensitive time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-TOF-MS)In: Fractions.
Out: Mass spectra.
AI InterpretationCloud algorithms identifying multidimensional disease breathprintsIn: Spectra data.
Out: Diagnostic report.

Cross-cutting technologies of the sector:

  • Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS): Real-time ultra-sensitive detection of VOCs at ppt levels without destroying labile molecules.
  • Alveolar Sampling: Masks selectively discarding dead-space air to collect gases from deep lungs in equilibrium with systemic blood.
  • Machine Learning Pattern Recognition: Multidimensional statistical analysis (PLS-DA, SVM) correcting baseline drift and calculating tumor risk probabilities.

2 · What it replaces 2 · matched by industry

D2E4Crop disease forecasting models, spore traps, pheromone and smart pest traps and field diagnostics — spray when risk is real instead of calendar-based fungicide and insecticide programmes
Replaces: Fixed-interval ("calendar") protective fungicide sprays and routine insecticide applications regardless of pest pressure
EAC
D2E–On-farm culture, PCR panels, rapid tests and veterinary laboratory services for livestock and aquaculture — treat what is diagnosed instead of blanket and prophylactic antibiotic treatment
Replaces: Blanket treatment of every clinical mastitis case, group metaphylaxis on suspicion, prophylactic antibiotics in hatcheries and ponds, …
DIAG

3 · How to implement 6 steps

  1. 1
    Alveolar Sampling
    The patient breathes normally through a disposable mask. The device monitors carbon dioxide levels to bypass dead-space air, collecting only the true alveolar fraction representing up to 3000 distinct VOCs.
  2. 2
    VOC Concentration
    Exhaled flow passes through a cartridge filled with hydrophobic sorbents (Tenax TA or Carbotrap). The polymer strongly retains organic compounds while letting water vapor and nitrogen pass.
  3. 3
    Cold LogisticsDistribution & market access
    The cartridge is hermetically sealed with metallic caps and transported to a certified reference laboratory under strict temperature control to prevent VOC degradation.
    Who can do this step matched automatically
    Ninjacart India
    25,000 tonnes/year
    “So far, we have built products that cater to each segment and their unique needs — Ninjacart for retailers, Ninja Mandi for traders, Ninja Global for importers and exporters, Ninja …”
  4. 4
    Thermal Desorption
    In the lab, the cartridge is heated to 300°C inside a thermal desorber. The released VOCs are carried by ultra-pure helium, frozen in a cold trap, and injected as a narrow pulse into the system.
  5. 5
    Separation & DetectionPurification & downstream
    The gas mixture is separated in a capillary gas chromatography column and fed into a high-resolution quadrupole or time-of-flight mass spectrometer to detect molecules at parts-per-trillion levels.
    Who can do this step matched automatically
    GenScript ProBio / Genscript China
    ✓ GMP industrial scale
    “testing, including mass spectrometry and analytical high performance liquid chromatography”
    HLB Genex (ex-GenoFocus) South Korea
    industrial scale
    “With fungal and bacterial secretion systems, we custom produce the evolved enzyme products in large-scale fermentation and downstream processes.”
  6. 6
    AI Pattern RecognitionData, software & automation
    An integrated AI application performs baseline drift correction, identifies biomarker peaks, and calculates tumor risk probability using a trained multivariate model, generating the final report.
    Who can do this step matched automatically
    N.Thing South Korea
    industrial scale
    “Established in January 2014, N.THING is a Seoul-based Agri-Food tech company leading innovation in agricultural products, by extension, in the farm-to-table food value chain by …”
    India Glycols (NSE) India
    ✓ GMP 7,500 MT/ industrial scale
    “Even the administrative processes are green, where IGL has adopted the latest SAP ERP (S/4 HANA 2023 version), Salesforce CRM, Industrial IOT & other tech solutions to drive …”
    MIRAI Japan
    industrial scale
    “It also runs IoT/“SensorCorpus” software for monitoring/optimization, and its cultivation tech has been described as LED/water/airflow method optimization (e.g., “heavy lettuce”); …”
    Archisen Singapore
    industrial scale
    “We democratise urban farming and food access via IoT, automation and data analytics.”
    UMITRON (SG subsidiary) Singapore
    “Founded in 2016 and based in Singapore and Japan, UMITRON builds user-friendly aquaculture data platforms that leverage the use of state of the art technologies such as IoT, AI and …”

4 · Who delivers

Matched suppliers (matched automatically)

MosquitoMateUnited StatesResearch / RTOactive
SingrowSingaporeProduceractive
SemiosCanadaProduceractive

In the services and supply catalogue 3 · paid service

Analytical & testing services · Laboratory & analytical instruments · Reagents & kits

Leading companies and institutes (from the brief)

Company / InstituteCountryKey products / platformsTech featuresStatus 2026
Owlstone Medical🇬🇧 UKBreath Biopsy PlatformGlobal standardization of VOC collectionoperating
Ionicon Analytik🇦🇹 AustriaPTR-TOF 6000 X2Real-time ppt-level mass spectrometryoperating
Menssana Research🇺🇸 USAPortable VOC SystemsProprietary cartridges for metabolic screeningoperating
Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics🇨🇳 ChinaPortable GC-IMSLung cancer screening in primary careoperating
Breath Diagnostics🇺🇸 USAOneBreath TestClinical lung cancer risk assessmentoperating
Agilent Technologies🇺🇸 USAGC-MS SystemsHigh-resolution VOC separationoperating

5 · Rules & route to market

Route into Russia / EAEU: EAC · EAEU accredited bodies / Rosakkreditatsiya
declaration registered within 3 working days (testing extra); certification longer
Information, not legal advice — confirm the procedure for your product. (2026-10-06)
United States

The US leads in developing commercial breath screening platforms for clinical practice, heavily backed by NIH grants.

Clinical implementation, FDA approvals, AI patenting#

  • Commercial Platforms: Companies like Breath Diagnostics and Menssana Research focus on portable sensory systems and proprietary VOC cartridges.
  • FDA Approvals: Specialized tests approved for H. pylori detection and nitric oxide (FeNO) monitoring in asthma.
  • AI Algorithms: Aggressive patenting of machine learning models recognizing complex volatile multidimensional patterns.
European Union

The EU holds global leadership in standardizing exhaled air sampling and coordinating large-scale clinical trials.

Standardization, Breath Biopsy, clinical consortia#

  • Standardization: UK-based Owlstone Medical’s Breath Biopsy platform acts as the global gold standard for clinical research.
  • Horizon Europe Projects: The PAN Cancer Breath Trial coordinates sample collection across dozens of oncology centers in the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands.
  • Component Requirements: High European regulatory standards for absorbent cartridge purity stimulate advanced microelectronics and gas filtration.
China

China integrates breath analysis into national mass screening programs, focusing on industrial regions.

Mass screening, portable GC-IMS, sovereign databases#

  • Primary Care Devices: Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (CAS) develops high-efficiency portable GC-IMS for lung cancer screening in high-density areas.
  • AI Cloud Integration: Chinese manufacturers use AI to process massive datasets from routine health checkups.
  • Sovereign Biomarker Base: Ministry of Health funding targets a national cloud database of VOC biomarkers for healthy and diseased populations.

6 · Money: tenders & grants

TenderGreece – Biochemical analysers – ΗΛΕΚΤΡΟΝΙΚΟΣ ΑΝΟΙΚΤΟΣ ΔΙΑΓΩΝΙΣΜΟΣ ΑΝΩ ΤΩΝ ΟΡΙΩΝ ΣΕ ΕΥΡΩ ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΠΡΟΜΗΘΕΙΑ …
ΓΕΝΙΚΟ ΑΝΤΙΚΑΡΚΙΝΙΚΟ ΟΓΚΟΛΟΓΙΚΟ ΝΟΣΟΚΟΜΕΙΟ ΑΘΗΝΩΝ "Ο ΑΓΙΟΣ ΣΑΒΒΑΣ" · Greece
Dec 11, 2026
56 days
TenderNetherlands – Blood-testing reagents – Gevalideerde Totaaloplossing voor de hielprikscreening op …
Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu (RIVM) · Netherlands
Nov 10, 2026
25 days
GrantFirst in Human and Early Stage Clinical Trials of Novel Investigational Drugs or Neuromodulatory Device-based …
National Institutes of Health · United States
Oct 15, 2027
364 days
GrantOpen topic: Using the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative to strengthen urban manufacturing in support of …
European Commission · EU
Apr 8, 2027
174 days

7 · Tech stack & innovations

The technological stack relies on advanced sorbents, ultra-sensitive mass spectrometry, and machine learning.

  1. Molecular Biomarkers and Sorbents:
    • Detects endogenous alkanes (pentane, ethane) as lipid peroxidation indicators and methylated alkanes as tumor markers.
    • Utilizes high-capacity porous polymers like Tenax TA and Carboxen for stable retention without chemical degradation.
  2. Analytical Instrumentation:
    • IONICON PTR-TOF systems allow real-time analysis at parts-per-trillion sensitivity.
    • GC-MS systems coupled with thermal desorbers separate complex VOC mixtures with high resolution.
  3. Bioinformatics and Pattern Analysis:
    • R and Python libraries (Chemometrics, Scikit-Learn) process multidimensional VOC data using PLS-DA and Support Vector Machines.
    • Algorithms correct baseline drift, align peaks, and calculate disease risk scores based on trained multivariate models.

Sources 6 · 0 independent · 6 producer sites

Producers' own sites 6

  1. Owlstone medical producer checked 2026-06-08 · link not kept
  2. Ionicon analytik producer checked 2026-03-15 · link not kept
  3. Menssana research producer checked 2026-04-07 · link not kept
  4. Dicp cas producer checked 2026-06-25 · link not kept
  5. Breath diagnostics producer checked 2026-02-27 · link not kept
  6. Agilent producer checked 2026-08-09 · link not kept