Exhaled Nitric Oxide Measured Using Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy 2002-01-2453

Noninvasive measurement of trace gases such as nitric oxide (NO) in exhaled human breath can provide useful information for diagnosis and treatment of a variety of diseases. A mid-IR tunable diode laser absorption spectrometer (TDLAS) was employed to monitor NO and CO₂ in exhaled breath. Preliminary results using this technique demonstrated a correlation between above-normal levels of exhaled-NO with asthma and airway inflammation. Nitric oxide quantification was achieved by simultaneously measuring NO and CO₂ in breath over a single exhalation. Calculated NO concentrations agreed well with reported values for asthmatic and non-asthmatic individuals.