Better diagnostics are just a breath away

The eNose company aims to utilize the aeoNose, a portable breath analyzer, to overcome any obstacle that has thus far prevented early detection of lung cancer. Our ultimate goal is to save lives and reduce the need for expensive and invasive tests and treatments.
Being fast, painless, and a lot cheaper compared to traditional diagnostic methods, the aeoNose can provide clarity as soon as earliest symptoms develop, or lead to a more accurate diagnosis when combined with a CT-scan. The results will indicate if additional tests are needed. Far reaching medical treatment strategies will be only be pursued when absolutely necessary.

The breath test is designed to be used in conjunction with traditional ones, by aiming to provide a faster and more accurate prediction on appropriate next diagnostic steps.

Main advantages of the aeoNose

A test only takes 15 minutes
Ease of use

AeoNose lung cancer detection

The air we exhale reflects our health. Components that are released from our body through exhaled breath (Volatile Organic Compounds or VOC’s) are perfectly suited to diagnose a variety of pathologies in humans. A disease can alter the specific composition of components found in exhaled breath. Years of careful development and training of the aeoNose using ‘breath prints’ now allows us to identify, classify and predict lung cancer in humans.

Status of validation process on lung cancer detection

In 2022, The eNose Company has finalized a ‘multi-center validation study’, which evaluates the aeoNose for the specific application of lung cancer detection. This clinical study was conducted by Dr Sharina Kort MD, and prospective pulmonologist at Medisch Spectrum Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands. Supervisors were Prof Job van der Palen, clinical epidemiologist at Medisch Spectrum Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands and Prof Michel van de Heuvel, pulmonologist at Radboudumc, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Additionally, several major hospitals in the Netherlands participated in the study as well as the University hospital in Basel, Switzerland. Study results have been published in ‘Chest’, hence suggesting the aeoNose most likely will be available for general use as a diagnostic tool for lung cancer by the end of 2022.

Reliability

The reliability of the aeoNose breath test is very high as it’s critical to prevent false negative test results. Simultaneously, rapid diagnosis is an important factor in lung cancer survival rates. Results will be explained in more detail in the clinical study, conducted by Sharina Kort, prospective pulmonologist at Medisch Spectrum Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands.

Currently, we are validating the aeoNose in the following hospitals

Related publications

‘Diagnosing Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer by Exhaled-Breath Profiling Using an Electronic Nose: A Multicenter Validation Study”.

S. Kort,
M. Brusse-Keizer,
H. Schouwink,
E. Citgez,
F.H. de Jongh,
J.W.G. van Putten,
B. van den Borne,
E.A. Kastelijn,
D. Stolz,
M. Schuurbiers,
M.M. van den Heuvel,
W.H. van Geffen,
J. van der Palen

Improving lung cancer diagnosis by combining exhaled-breath data and clinical parameters

S. Kort
M. M. Brusse-Keizer
J.W. Gerritsen
J.H. Schouwink
E. Citgez
F.H.C. de Jongh
J. van der Maten
S. Samii
M. Van den Bogart
J. van der Palen

Multi-centre prospective study on diagnosing subtypes of lung cancer by exhaled-breath analysis

S. Kort
M.M. Tiggeloven
M. Brusse-Keizer
J.W. Gerritsen
J.H. Schouwink
E. Citgez
F.H.C. de Jongh
S. Samii
J. van der Maten
M. van den Bogart
J. van der Palen

Training and validating a portable electronic nose for lung cancer screening

R. Van de Goor
M. van Hooren
A.M. Dingemans
B. Kremer
K. Kross

All exhaled-breath tests are being processed in a way that preserves anonymity by encryption. Actual classifications are visible in the electronic patient file only, and therefore not accessible by The eNose Company.

Results are stored in the electronic patient file and are only available to the patient and his/her healthcare professional.

Anonymized, numerical records of all screenings are encrypted and successively stored in an international BreathPrint™ database. Newly added breathprints contribute to improved, more accurate and smarter classification algorithms. In this way, this valuable source of information on exhaled-breath analysis of detectable diseases will be available to healthcare professionals around the globe.

Currently, a breath test for general practitioners is not available yet. However, development of such a test for GPs will start soon for a number of specific indications. At the moment, any trials for a self-test have not been planned.

In case the patient shows symptoms, the general practitioner or physician should consider performing the test, pending compatibility between symptoms and approved applications of the aeoNose.

The risk of cross-contamination is negligible. The following measures are in place to ensure this:

For each test, a new disposable mouthpiece is used,
For each mouthpiece, a so-called HEPA-filter is mounted, which filters out bacteria and viruses, thereby preventing them from entering the aeoNose device.
The patient inhales and exhales through the (new, disposable) mouthpiece, not directly through the aeoNose. The AeoNose has been approved by departments for infection prevention in several Dutch hospitals, including in the case of Covid-19.

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