A device to collect exhaled breath to study biomarkers in small animal models

Biomarkers are measurable changes associated with disease. Exhaled breath provides many signs of bodily changes and has been proposed to be a good early biomarker source because it lacks homeostatic mechanisms. Earlier biomarker detection can provide earlier diagnosis, which can bring about more choices and more time for treatment. The benefit of studying exhaled breath in animal models is that most interfering factors can be avoided, and earlier changes in disease may be found. However, there is currently no device that can effectively collect exhaled breath from small animals. In this study, such a device was designed, constructed, and used for the study of candidate biomarkers from the exhale breaths of a papain-induced pulmonary emphysema rat model.