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Breath testing for necrotizing enterocolitis

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Breath-Based Detection of early stage Bacterial Infection (necrotizing enterocolitis) in Preterm Infants.

About the Technology

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating gastrointestinal disease in premature infants that results in injury and necrosis of the intestine, with a mortality rate up to 20%. Today, there is no way to diagnose this disease of infection and inflammation until tissue damage can be visualized with medical imaging. This leads to poor patient outcomes and significant rates of patient overtreatment due to clinician fear of common GI symptoms (i.e. emesis or abdominal distension) that could indicate NEC, as patient outcomes are best when antibiotics are delivered as early in the disease progression as possible. Our team is developing novel biomarker evidence and building the first tool to catch NEC in its earliest stages.

We aim to develop an FDA-cleared device based on continuous measurement of bacterial metabolites in the breath that will enable providers to initiate earlier, lifesaving antibiotic treatment prior to the need for surgical intervention. HIT Fund support is facilitating a clinical research study to further define this breath-based biomarker and define necessary device design parameters. This technology is being developed by an interdisciplinary team with medical device development expertise, including physicians, measurement scientists, and Stanford Biodesign leaders.

Team Members

Janene Fuerch

Janene Fuerch

Clinical Associate Professor

Pediatrics - Neonatology

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Juliana Perl

Juliana Perl

Pediatrics and Health Technology Researcher

School of Medicine - MDRP'S - Biodesign Program

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Christopher Lyle Strand

Christopher Lyle Strand

Senior Research Engineer

Mechanical Engineering - Thermosciences

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