Zurich Exhalomics

Traditional medical diagnostics relying on blood or urine samples are invasive, time-consuming, and costly. Yet, breath analysis, despite its potential to reveal insights into various diseases, remains underutilized in clinical settings. The advantages of breath testing are clear: it’s non-invasive, provides immediate results, and breath samples are infinitely available.

The ambitious Zurich Exhalomics project is collaborating with medical clinics to pioneer new breath measurement and analysis techniques. The ultimate aim is to integrate breath analysis into medical practices, potentially enhancing or even replacing traditional diagnostic methods.

So far, the initiative has identified disease-specific metabolic markers in conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, and asthma through breath analysis.

The technique is currently undergoing trials and further refinement for a broader range of illnesses, including metabolic and infectious diseases, as well as neurodegenerative disorders.