Detection of H. Pylori Utilizing Unlabeled Urea

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and device for detection of H. Pylori in breath emissions utilizing an unlabelled urea, in which a patient ingests a safe quantity of unlabelled urea. After ingestion, expired breath of the patient is analyzed for ammonia, with a detection based on levels of ammonia lower than 50 ppb to 500 ppm to detect helicobacter pylori.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A non-invasive apparatus for diagnosing whether a patient suffers from  helicobacter pylori  infection, comprising: a portable, hand-held, instrument, including means for sampling the expelled breath of a patient to whom unlabeled urea has been administered, a detector capable of detecting less than 50 parts per billion of unlabeled ammonia in the sample of the said patient's expelled breath and means for displaying and recording data representing the level of ammonia detected. 
     
     
         2 . An apparatus as recited in  claim 1  further comprising means for comparing the data representing the level of ammonia detected with a database of information to assist in making said diagnosis. 
     
     
         3 . A non-invasive method for diagnosing whether a patient suffers from  helicobacter pylori  infection comprising the steps of:
 administering unlabeled urea to a patient;   sampling the patient's expelled breath;   passing said sample of expelled breath over a detector capable of detecting less than 50 parts per billion of unlabeled ammonia in the sample of the said patent's expelled breath;   displaying and recording data representing the level of ammonia detected.   
     
     
         4 . A method as recited in  claim 3  wherein said recorded data is compared with data in a database to make the desired diagnosis.