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Study: Specialized Face Mask Accurately Detects Presence of CKD Using Chemicals in Patient’s Breath
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Key Takeaways
- A modified surgical face mask with a breath sensor can detect CKD by identifying specific metabolites.
- The sensor demonstrated 84% true positive and 88% true negative rates in detecting CKD among 101 participants.
In approximately 84% of cases, the mask was able to detect if patients had chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Research published in ACS Sensors shows that a modified surgical face mask can protect a wearer by detecting certain health conditions, including chronic kidney disease (CKD). To accomplish this, researchers incorporated a specialized breath sensor within the mask’s fabric, allowing it to detect metabolites that are associated with the disease. They noted that in initial tests, the sensor had the ability to correctly identify people with CKD the majority of the time.1
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Kidneys remove waste products made by the body’s metabolic processes. In patients with CKD, these organs have become damaged and lose function over time, eventually resulting in wide-ranging implications on the patient’s health. The CDC estimates that about 35 million US individuals have CKD, but there are many more who could be undiagnosed. This is especially common in earlier stages of the disease, where symptoms may not be as apparent. CKD is currently diagnosed by the measurement of metabolites within the blood or urine; however, low-cost, low-tech systems can make the diagnosis process easier, wrote the study authors.1,2
Chemical breath sensors are another diagnostic tool that is currently being explored. Patients with CKD exhale elevated levels of ammonia, which is a chemical associated with the condition; however, ammonia is also associated with other health conditions. For this reason, the study investigators aimed to create a specific sensor that detects ammonia in addition to other CKD-related metabolites.1,2
To ensure ease of use for both health care professionals and patients, the investigators incorporated the sensor into a surgical face mask. A face mask was selected as the vessel for the sensor because of its widespread use and familiarity among both health care professionals and patients. Creating the breath sensor involved coating silver electrodes with a conductive polymer, which is commonly used in chemical sensors. To boost the device’s sensitivity, polymer was modified with molecules that are sensitive to volatile compounds called porphyrins. The coated electrodes were then placed between the layers of a disposable medical face mask, and the wires were connected to the device via an electronic readout. When certain gases interacted with the specialized polymer, a measurable change of electrical resistance occurred. Through these initial experiments, the high sensitivity of the sensor for CKD-related metabolites—including ammonia, ethanol, propanol, and acetone—was confirmed.1
In this study, the specialized face masks were tested on 101 participants aged 18 to 80 years. About half of the participants (n = 53) had a CKD diagnosis from stage II to V; and the remaining (n = 48) did not have CKD. Through the study’s duration, sensors detected several compounds in the participants’ breath, and a statistical analysis of the data demonstrated there was a clear pattern that distinguished the participants with CKD from the control group. About 84% of the time, the sensor within the mask had correctly identified when a patient had CKD (described as “true positive” in the study). Alternatively, about 88% of the time it detected when a patient did not have CKD (referred to as “true negative”).1
These results, noted the authors, suggest that the sensor data can be utilized as an estimate of the stage of CKD, which could be highly valuable during the diagnostic process. Further, the researchers say that these findings present the potential for a straightforward, noninvasive, and cost-effective method of monitoring patients with CKD.1
“The implementation of this technology is expected to enhance the management of CKD patients by facilitating the timely identification of changes in disease progression,” said Sergio Bernardini and Annalisa Noce, coauthors of the study.2
