Rapid Detection of Acetone in Exhaled Breath for the Diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus

The analysis of exhaled breath represents a rapidly advancing field in noninvasive medical diagnostics. This method avoids invasive procedures and allows for repeated testing. Acetone in exhaled breath correlates with blood glucose levels and serves as a biomarker for diabetes. Implementing analytical systems in medical facilities for the detection of acetone in exhaled breath facilitates the timely diagnosis of pathological changes in blood glucose levels, promotes early diabetes diagnosis, and supports monitoring of therapeutic effectiveness. This study proposes a method for the rapid detection of acetone in exhaled breath using a mobile diagnostic complex based on microfluidic systems. The system includes a PIA gas microchromatograph with a thermochemical detector, a planar chromatography column, a thermostated sample collection system, and the selective capture of interfering components, all regulated by electric microvalves. Additionally, it includes an automatic dosing system with adjustable purging times, ranging from 0.1 to 5 s, and accompanying software. This procedure enables analyses within a diagnostically significant range of acetone concentrations (0.5–20 ppm) in exhaled breath for diabetes diagnosis. The total analysis time is 3 min, with a retention time of 60 s for acetone. We have tested the diagnostic complex, which allows the direct detection of acetone in exhaled breath. The capture and drying system shows no loss of the target substance and ensures the high reproducibility of the results, with deviations from the reference value not exceeding 10%. Field testing confirmed the data obtained on model mixtures. We recommend the developed mobile diagnostic complex with automatic programmable dosing and the method for the quantitative determination of acetone in exhaled breath (0.5–20 ppm) for use in clinical studies within medical institutions.