Berlin 2001 – scientific programme
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Q: Quantenoptik
Q 38: Laser in Medicine
Q 38.5: Talk
Friday, April 6, 2001, 18:30–18:45, H 2013
Trace gas analysis of human breath using infrared cavity leak-out spectroscopy — •Daniel Kleine1, Hannes Dahnke1, Wolfgang Urban2, Peter Hering1, and Manfred Mürtz1 — 1Institut für Lasermedizin, Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany — 2Institut für Angewandte Physik, Universität Bonn, Wegelerstr. 8, 53113 Bonn, Germany
After the successful evaluation of Cavity Leak-Out Spectroscopy (CALOS) for
the
analysis of atmospheric trace gases [1,2] we now introduce medical
applications.
The measurement of trace gases in human breath opens the possibility of
early
diagnosis of illnesses and human cell damage. By detection of the ethane
(C2H6) concentration in human breath it is possible to monitor the
oxidative stress status of the human body.
CALOS is closely related to cavity ring-down spectroscopy and uses
narrowband cw
lasers in the mid- infrared spectral range. Our trace gas measurements are
carried out with a CO overtone sideband laser in the 3 µm range. The
noise
equivalent absorption coefficient of this frequency tuneable spectrometer
is
1.7 × 10−9/cm. This high sensitivity permits real-time analysis
of
endogeneous trace gases in human breath on the sub-ppb level without
preconcentration of the gas samples.
[1] D. Kleine, H. Dahnke, W. Urban, P. Hering, M. Mürtz; Opt. Lett. 25,
1606
(2000); [2] H. Dahnke, D. Kleine, W. Urban, P. Hering, M. Mürtz; Appl.
Phys. B
71, 873 (2001)