Swiss ETH Zurich develops breath‑acetone device for personal fat‑metabolism monitoring
Researchers at ETH Zurich, led by Professor Andreas Güntner, have created a handheld breath‑acetone analyser called Nutrion. The device, built with ETH spin‑off Alivion, measures acetone—a by‑product of fat oxidation—in exhaled air and is operated through a smartphone app, resembling police breath‑alcohol testers.
In a validation study involving twelve adult volunteers (312 breath samples), the analyser’s results were practically identical to blood tests and a high‑precision mass‑spectrometer, confirming laboratory‑grade accuracy. Tested at the University Hospital Zurich, the system could enable individuals to monitor fat metabolism for diet, diabetes, or ketogenic therapies without professional assistance or blood draws.
Entities: Alivion · Andreas Güntner · ETH Zurich · Nutrion · University Hospital Zurich
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The device, called Nutrion, can be operated by laypeople via a smartphone app and resembles police breath‑alcohol testers. (All articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] ETH Zurich researchers developed a handheld breath‑acetone analyser that measures acetone with high precision. (All articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] In a validation study with twelve adults (312 breath measurements), the analyser’s results matched blood tests and a high‑precision mass‑spectrometer. (All articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Acetone is a by‑product of fat metabolism that is exhaled in breath. (All articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The device was developed together with ETH spin‑off Alivion and tested at the University Hospital Zurich. (All articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The analyser could allow individuals to monitor fat metabolism without professional assistance or blood tests, supporting diet, diabetes management, or ketogenic therapies. (All articles)