Sensor could aid weight loss through acetone assessments

Developed at NTT DOCOMO Research Laboratories, the portable, pocket-sized sensor works by measuring increased levels of acetone on the breath, which is said to be a good indicator of when the body has begun to break down fat.

The device has been presented today, 25 July, in IOP Publishing’s Journal of Breath Research.

Acetone is primarily produced in the blood when fat is broken down; however, it is also expelled through alveoli in the lungs during exhalation and is present in exhaled breath.

This new device, which is reportedly capable of detecting acetone concentrations in the range of 0.2 to 50 parts-per-million, is 10 cm long, weighs 125g and requires two AA batteries to operate.

The device consists of a pressure sensor to detect the exhaled breath and two types of semiconductor-based gas sensors to detect acetone.

After a user blows into the device, the acetone concentration levels can be calculated and sent to a smartphone, either by Bluetooth or a cable, within 10 seconds.