Novel Biomarkers for Diagnosing Schizophrenia in Exhaled Breath

Simple SummaryContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

This invention introduces a non-invasive method to diagnose, monitor, and evaluate the response to treatment of schizophrenia using biomarkers found in exhaled breath. It identifies specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as trimethylamine, substituted hexane (e.g., 1-hexanol), esters of butyric acid, and others, which are present at different levels in the breath of schizophrenia patients compared to healthy individuals. The method uses devices and kits that analyze these VOCs, providing a fast and objective tool to aid clinical decisions.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Rapid diagnosis of schizophrenia in clinical settings using a breath sample.
• Monitoring the progression of schizophrenia in patients over time via periodic breath tests.
• Assessing whether a patient is responding to therapeutic interventions for schizophrenia by tracking changes in breath biomarkers.
• Facilitating early intervention and treatment adjustment by providing objective, measurable biomarkers.
• Potential use in point-of-care settings such as hospitals, outpatient clinics, or even at home via portable devices.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Non-invasive and painless sample collection (just exhaled breath), enhancing patient comfort and compliance.
• Provides objective biomarkers to support psychiatric diagnosis, supplementing or expediting subjective clinical assessments.
• Rapid analysis allows for real-time or same-day results, improving clinical workflow.
• Can repeatedly monitor disease course and treatment response with minimal patient burden.
• Highly portable and suitable for point-of-care or even home use, increasing accessibility and convenience.
• Potential to reduce delays in initiating appropriate treatment, improving patient outcomes.
• Reduces dependency on invasive tests, complex imaging, and lengthy laboratory work.

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Patent Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of diagnosing schizophrenia in a patient. Further, the present invention relates to a method of determining the course of schizophrenia in a patient. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method of determining whether a patient responds to a therapeutic treatment of schizophrenia. In addition, the present invention relates to a device which can be used in these methods. Moreover, the present invention relates to a kit comprising the device.