COPD identification by the analysis of breath with an electronic nose

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a non fully reversible pathology characterized by airflow limitation. Spirometry (pulmonary function) is the gold standard to diagnose COPD, but often in the early stage of the pathology breathing symptoms might not be clinically evident. For this reason, there is an increasing demand for non-invasive diagnostic techniques. In this paper an electronic nose has been applied to the breath analysis of COPD patients. Breath samples of COPD patients and control subjects were analyzed with the electronic nose. Classification of sensors data illustrates the ability of this instrument to distinguish between the two groups. Electronic nose data were complemented by GC-MS analysis for a thorough characterization of the breath samples.