Nanostructured fiber optic sensors for detection of volatile organic compounds in breath

Recent progress in nanostructured optical fiber-based sensors for the noninvasive, fast and quantitative measurement of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in human breath is reported. The sensor array, which is constituted with multilayered, interleaved metal nanocluster and polymer thin films on the distal ends of optical fibers, is fabricated by the electrostatic self-assembly (ESA) process. Initial research and early sensor prototype demonstrations indicate that the specific detection of acetone, ethane and other molecular targets in exhaled human breath is achievable. Moreover, the selectivity and sensitivity of the system are significantly improved by incorporating an advanced data analysis model.