Fabrication of a sensor to detect low concentration of methane: A bio-marker of colon cancer

Analysis of the volatile organic compounds in the human breath has emerged as a good method for the detection of various diseases. The concentration and distinctness of the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's) in the human breath varies with the disease. Colorectal cancer has been reported as one of the deadliest forms of cancer. It is amongst the 5 most common types of cancer that kill men. Methane gas has been reported to have a concentration of 19-28 ppm in the breath of a colon cancer patient. For the detection of methane from the breath and to be practically incorporable in an embedded device the detection of the gas has to be done at the room temperature. This paper gives the detail synthesis of a supra-molecular organic compound Cryptophane-A which is able to detect the gas at room temperature. A coating of the polymeric Cryptophane-A film on top of a glass plate has been given. Initial results, at room temperature, for methane gas of concentration of 300 and 1020ppm have been reported.