Abstract: An apparatus for collecting volatile compounds in human breath. The apparatus includes a device for discriminating between alveolar and non-alveolar portions of exhaled breath, a device for measuring volume of exhaled breath, a chamber with a piston or similar compressible device with clean internal services designed to collect a precise volume of alveolar breath, a pump to draw the exhaled breath from the chamber through at least one sorbent tube, a subsystem for introducing a clean gas into the chamber to expand it and for purging the tubing of the system, and a subsystem for selectively collecting a room air sample. A manifold is provided in the apparatus for receiving sorbent tubes and comprises an input block and output block, and a locking lever for actuating the input and output blocks linearly towards and away from each other and selectively locking them in a fully closed position.

Abstract: An apparatus for collecting volatile compounds in human breath includes a device for discriminating between alveolar and non-alveolar portions of exhaled breath by real-time measurement of a physical characteristic of said exhaled breath; a device for measuring volume of exhaled breath; a chamber with piston or similar compressible device with clean internal surfaces designed to collect a precise volume of the alveolar portion of the exhaled breath; a pump to draw the exhaled breath collected in the chamber through at least one sorbent tube; a subsystem for introducing a clean compressed gas into the chamber to expand it, and for purging the internal tubing of the system; and a subsystem for selectively collecting a room air sample.