title: Optical detection of the anesthetic agent propofol in the gas phase.
abstract: The anesthetic agent propofol (2,6-diisopropylphenol) is the most widely used intravenously administered drug in general anesthesia. However, a viable online capability to monitor metabolized levels of propofol in patients does not currently exist. Here we show for the first time that optical spectroscopy has good potential to detect metabolized propofol from patients' exhaled breath. We present quantitative absorption measurements of gas phase propofol both in the ultraviolet and middle-infrared spectral regions. We demonstrate that a detection limit in the subparts-per-billion concentration range can be reached with photoacoustic spectroscopy in the UV spectral region, paving the way for the development of future optical monitors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3RA, UK.
authors.forename: Toni
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laurila
authors.forename: Tapio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sorvajärvi
authors.forename: Jaakko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saarela
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Toivonen
authors.forename: Daniel W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Wheeler
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ciaffoni
authors.forename: Grant A D
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Ritchie
authors.forename: Clemens F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Kaminski
mesh_terms: D000777:Anesthetics / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D001944:Breath Tests / Q000379:methods; D005740:Gases / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D015742:Propofol / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000777:Anesthetics; D005740:Gases; D015742:Propofol