A new portable monitor for measuring odorous compounds in oral, exhaled and nasal air.

BACKGROUND: The B/B Checker®, a new portable device for detecting odorous compounds in oral, exhaled, and nasal air, is now available. As a single unit, this device is capable of detecting several kinds of gases mixed with volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) in addition to other odorous gasses. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the B/B Checker® for detecting the malodor level of oral, exhaled, and nasal air. METHODS: A total of 30 healthy, non-smoking volunteers (16 males and 14 females) participated in this study. The malodor levels in oral, exhaled, and nasal air were measured using the B/B Checker® and by organoleptic test (OT) scores. The VSCs in each air were also measured by gas chromatography (GC). Associations among B/B Checker® measurements, OT scores and VSC levels were analyzed using Spearman correlation coefficients. In order to determine the appropriate B/B Checker® level for screening subjects with malodor, sensitivity and specificity were calculated using OT scores as an identifier for diagnosing oral malodor. RESULTS: In oral and nasal air, the total VSC levels measured by GC significantly correlated to that measured by the B/B Checker®. Significant correlation was observed between the results of OT scores and the B/B Checker® measurements in oral (r = 0.892, p < 0.001), exhaled (r = 0.748, p < 0.001) and nasal air (r = 0.534, p < 0.001). The correlation between the OT scores and VSC levels was significant only for oral air (r = 0.790, p < 0.001) and nasal air (r = 0.431, p = 0.002); not for exhaled air (r = 0.310, p = 0.096). When the screening level of the B/B Checker® was set to 50.0 for oral air, the sensitivity and specificity were 1.00 and 0.90, respectively. On the other hand, the screening level of the B/B Checker® was set to 60.0 for exhaled air, the sensitivity and specificity were 0.82 and 1.00, respectively. CONCLUSION: The B/B Checker® is useful for objective evaluation of malodor in oral, exhaled and nasal air and for screening subjects with halitosis. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01139073.

Biodistribution imaging of magnetic particles in mice: X-ray scanning analytical microscopy and magnetic resonance imaging.

Nano-sized particles have received much attention in view of their varied application in a wide range of fields. For example, magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)) nanoparticles have been investigated for various medical applications. In this study, we visualized the distribution of administered magnetic nanoparticles in mice using both X-ray scanning analytical microscopy (XSAM) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). After administration, the nanoparticles were rapidly dispersed via the blood circulation, and reached the liver, kidney and spleen. Using the XSAM and MRI methods in a complementary fashion, the biodistribution of nano-sized magnetite particles was successfully visualized.

In vivo internal diffusion of several inorganic microparticles through oral administration.

We observed the internal diffusion behavior of inorganic micro/nano particles through oral administration. By oral exposure, the fed particles were absorbed through the digestive system then reached some organs after internal diffusion in the body. For example, TiO2 particles fed to mice were detected in the lung, liver, and spleen after 10 days of feeding. Whereas, the absorption efficiency was extremely low compared with intravenous injection. In a comparison of the simple amount of administration, oral exposure required 102 times or more amount by intravenous injection for detection by an X-ray scanning analytical microscope. During dental treatment, micro/nano particles from tooth or dental materials would generate in the oral cavity, and some of the particles had a possibility to be swallowed, absorbed through the digestive system, and then diffuse into the body. However, our results suggest that biocompatible microparticles that are naturally taken orally affect animals only rarely because of the low absorption efficiency.