Patent ID: 8747325

Claim:
A non-invasive method of diagnosing heat failure, comprising: (a) collecting a sample of exhaled air using a capture device comprising: (i) means for capturing the exhaled air directly from a patient; (ii) means for extracting and capturing volatile compound(s) from the captured exhaled air of the patient especially a biomarker of interest; (iii) means of diffusing the captured exhaled air into means for capturing a biomarker; (iv) means for indirectly cooling the capturing means; (v) means of insulating said capture device from external conditions; and, (vi) means for reading total volume of exhaled air collected; b) analyzing, using a processor, the sample of captured exhaled air for acetone as a biomarker of heart failure, wherein the detection and quantification of the acetone can be made by any suitable technique selected from the group consisting of chromatography, mass spectrometry, infra-red or ultra-violet spectrophotometry, gas sensors and electronic noses; and c) indicating, using the processor, the severity of heart failure in accordance with the following ranges of acetone in the sample of exhaled air: (i) acetone concentration with an upper limit of 0.85 mcg/L indicates that the patient does not have a heart failure condition; (ii) acetone concentration with lower and upper limits of 0.85 mcg/L and 2.6 mcg/L indicates compensated heart failure; and (iii) acetone concentration with a lower limit of 2.6 mcg/L indicates decompensated heart failure, characterized by heart failure with congestion and/or heart failure with low output.