Biodegradable, Humidity-Insensitive Mask-Integrated E-Nose for Sustainable and Non-Invasive Continuous Breath Analysis

Abstract

Breath analysis offers a non-invasive approach to modern diagnostics by capturing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath. However, current breath analysis technologies face challenges like humidity sensitivity, high costs, and biodegradable solutions, limiting their scalability and environmental sustainability. This study presents a paper-based, biodegradable, humidity-insensitive electronic nose (e-nose) sensor array integrated into a face mask for real-time breath analysis. The sensors, coated with hydrophobic polymer coating, ensure robust insensitivity to humidity, enabling reliable detection of VOCs even in high-moisture environments. The mask-integrated e-nose facilitates real-time breath monitoring for applications such as alcohol consumption tracking and respiratory health assessment. For the latter, Tuberculosis (TB) detection is selected as a representative use case, achieving 89% accuracy in disease diagnosis and recovery monitoring using a pre-trained deep-learning model. The fully-biodegradable paper-based sensor naturally degrades in soil within months, underscoring its eco-friendly design and suitability for disposable health monitoring. This work introduces a sustainable, user-friendly approach to breath analysis with potential applications in non-invasive disease detection and personalized healthcare monitoring.