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Saving lives one breath at a time

NPL worked with a medical diagnostic company, Bedfont Scientific Ltd, to help them independently verify their breath monitoring sensors.

Patient and DoctorImage courtesy of iStockphoto Trevor Smith, Managing Director of Bedfont, was seconded to NPL under a scheme called Measurement for Innovators (funded by the National Measurement Office) so that Bedfont could test their instruments against concentrations of carbon monoxide and hydrogen in concentrations that are relevant to the medical market.

Bedfont's personal diagnostic gas sensors can continuously monitor levels of certain gases in human breath, and can be used in place of certain invasive blood tests.

In order to extend their position in this market sector, and confirm their reputation for quality and accuracy, Bedfont required its instruments to be evaluated against an alternative technique.

NPL assisted the company in determining some key performance parameters for two types of electrochemical breath sensors, one for measuring carbon monoxide, and the other for hydrogen. The test results provided Bedfont with an independent verification of their sensors, potentially giving an edge over their international competitors, with the opportunity to expand into other global markets and within the UK’s National Health Service (NHS).

"Working with NPL has been an excellent experience and one we would like to develop in the future with more of our products" - Trevor Smith, Managing Director, Bedfont Scientific Ltd.

For more information, please contact Nick Martin

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Published: 25 Feb 2010

Last Updated: 1 Feb 2011
Created: 1 Feb 2011