Breath-Based Screening / Triage Support

The Challenge: Late Detection of Lung Disorders

Lung disorders remains the leading cause of disease-related deaths worldwide, largely due to late-stage diagnosis.

• Silent Progression: Lung disorders often shows no symptoms until advanced stages, when survival rates drop dramatically.
• Invasive Screening: Current methods like CT scans and biopsies are expensive, involve radiation exposure, or are invasive.
• Limited Access: Advanced diagnostic facilities are not available in many regions, especially in rural and resource-limited settings.
• High-Risk Populations: Smokers and those exposed to occupational hazards need regular screening, but compliance is low due to procedure complexity.

Earlier referral for confirmatory diagnostics can improve treatment options. OBA-L™ aims to make screening support more accessible, affordable, and non-invasive.

Who Can Benefit from OBA-L™

Designed for defined screening and validation workflows involving higher-risk populations:

• Current and former smokers (20+ pack-years)
• Individuals with occupational exposure (asbestos, radon, chemicals)
• People with family history of lung disorders
• Patients with chronic respiratory conditions
• Defined screening programs in hospitals and clinics
• Community health camps and mobile screening units

Compact, portable design supports use in controlled clinical validation and screening-support workflows across care settings.

How OBA-L™ Works

OBA-L™ captures and analyses end-tidal breath — the last portion of exhaled air that comes directly from the deep lung alveoli where gas exchange occurs.

• End-Tidal Breath Sampling: Specialized mouthpiece captures deep lung air, minimizing contamination from upper airways.
• VOC Response Sensing: VolTrac™ sensors capture chemi-resistive response patterns from VOC mixtures in exhaled breath.
• AI Pattern Recognition: Machine learning algorithms analyse the VOC "fingerprint" against response patterns being evaluated in clinical validation studies.
• Triage Support: Reports are designed to support referral decisions for confirmatory diagnostic workup.

Powered by VolTrac™ Technology

At the heart of OBA-L™ is Invent's VolTrac™ VOC sensor platform.

• PPB-Level Sensing: Built for low-concentration VOC response-pattern capture in selected analytical workflows.
• Pattern Selectivity: Chemi-resistive nano-polymer sensors support downstream pattern analysis across VOC mixtures.
• Room-Temperature Operation: Safe, low-power operation suitable for clinical environments.
• Multi-Sensor Array: 8-16 specialized sensors create a VOC response profile for downstream pattern recognition.

🚀 NVIDIA Inception Program Member — Accelerating AI-Powered Screening Support

The Science Behind Breath Biomarkers

Altered metabolism can influence volatile organic compounds (VOCs). OBA-L™ studies how breath VOC response patterns may support lung-disorder screening and triage workflows.

• Altered Lipid Peroxidation: Affected cells produce elevated levels of aldehydes like hexanal and heptanal through oxidative stress.
• Cytochrome P450 Changes: Metabolic enzyme alterations lead to specific alkane and methylalkane patterns.
• Tumor Necrosis: Necrotic tissue releases characteristic VOCs detectable in breath.
• Candidate VOC Patterns: Research has identified VOC patterns associated with lung-cancer biology; OBA-L™ is evaluating those patterns in clinical validation workflows.

Clinical Validation

OBA-L™ is currently undergoing rigorous clinical validation in partnership with leading cancer centers.

• MCC Incubation: On-site incubation center established at Malabar Cancer Centre, Thalassery for clinical validation.
• Multi-Site Trials: Prototypes are being used with partner hospitals for validation studies.
• VOC Response Patterns: Response patterns are being evaluated in clinical validation studies, including the MCC study.
• CDSCO Approval: CDSCO approval received for clinical evaluation in India — May 2026.
• ISO 13485:2016 Certified: Quality management system for medical-device design and manufacturing certified to the international ISO 13485:2016 standard — May 2026.

OBA-L™ is intended as a screening/triage tool. Positive results require confirmation through standard diagnostic procedures.