Overview
- Researchers at ETH Zurich published a study reporting a smartphone-paired handheld device that detects breath acetone to indicate a switch from carbohydrate to fat metabolism.
- The sensor architecture pairs a chemoresistive detector with a Tenax TA sorption column that traps acetone and lets water vapor pass, producing a clean acetone signal for reliable readings.
- In an analytical validation the device produced 312 breath measurements from 12 adults and matched gold-standard PTR-MS results with close agreement, differing about 7.5% at 2 ppm.
- ETH’s spin-off Alivion has commercialized the device for individual use and it is being used in early clinical studies such as ketogenic-diet monitoring for epilepsy, but it is not approved as a diagnostic tool.
- Larger clinical validation and development of tailored interpretation for patients, athletes, children, and those on weight-loss drugs are the next steps before routine clinical adoption and regulatory clearance.