Akers Biosciences gains European patent for ketone breath device

Akers Biosciences, a developer of rapid health information technologies, gains a European patent for its ketone acid breath device.

The European Patent Office has issued a patent covering the company's breath ketone detector, a breath device to monitor ketone levels, which follows the devices’ US patent award in 2014.

The patent protects the methods and devices related to the breath ketone detector, which was developed using the company's micro particle catalysed biosensor technology platform that finds medical or metabolic conditions through biomarkers in exhaled breath condensate.

Raymond F. Akers, Jr, co-founder and chief scientific director, said: "Achieving patent protection in the key territories of the US and Europe is very significant for the breath ketone detector technology because of the enormous target markets of diabetes and health and wellness that we are positioning the tests for.

"The technology has a large number of potential mass-market applications, including within health and wellness, but in particular, we believe the ability to help type one and some type two diabetics monitor their ketone levels in a non-invasive, convenient format will be a significant advancement in the management of a disease that affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide.”

Ketones are acids which can potentially build up in the body causing ketosis, which in an extreme form can be a life-threatening medical emergency called ketoacidosis. People with diabetes, and those who have restrictive ketogenic diets for epilepsy management or for aggressive weight loss, are most at risk.

Ketones are present in the blood and breath before they can be detected in urine, and the company said this makes its device a desirable screening method, for cost and comfort, compared to invasive blood tests.

So far, the company has developed three applications for the breath ketone detector: BreathScan DKA, for monitoring and diagnostic use by diabetics, subject to regulatory clearance, BreathScan KetoChek, which enables users to track and monitor their ketone levels with a reading device connected to a smartphone app, and METRON, for weight loss management and fitness.

Shares in Akers Biosciences were down 1.1% to 225p at 1015 GMT.