Gut Health Tests
Developed by world-leading experts in breath analysis
The Problem
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Every patient is unique, so linking a patient’s symptoms with specific causes alongside lifestyle factors such as diet is challenging
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Determining long-term action plans for patients suffering from ongoing digestive health symptoms is difficult especially when follow-ups are only periodic
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Chronic digestive issues are highly distressing for patients, and coping with ongoing symptoms as well as mental health impacts (which can trigger worsening of symptoms) is difficult
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Currently available solutions to assess and diagnose health issues are time-consuming, costly, and often invasive
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No current solution enables effective management of symptoms due to difficulty linking lifestyle factors with objective measures of gut health
Our Solution
Hydrogen and Methane Breath testing is a Simple, Non-invasive Way to Investigate Gastrointestinal Health.
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The OMED Breath Analyzer app can be used to build a profile of digestive health that can be used to provide reports and monitor the progress of disease in response to therapy and on an ongoing basis
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Visualization tools allow users and their doctors to start to see how symptoms are connected to diet and other factors through clinically validated biomarkers of digestive health hydrogen and methane
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Breath testing can help clinicians reduce patient uncertainty and help them feel more in control over their disease
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Breath testing is simple to perform and can be done in the comfort of one’s home without any additional cost
BENEFITS
HOW CAN WE SUPPORT YOU AND YOUR PATIENTS?
If you’re UK-based, we can provide hydrogen and methane breath testing kits for SIBO and carbohydrate malabsorption, shipped directly to your patients ready for breath sampling. Within the UK and US, we have a portable hydrogen and methane breath analyzer for longitudinal monitoring.
BENEFITS FOR THE CLINIC / HOSPITAL:
Testing at home
Minimizes cancelled appointments due to staff shortages or unattended appointments by patients
Shorter waiting list
Reduces staff burden freeing up time with no limits on testing numbers
Cost effective
Hydrogen and methane breath testing is significantly cheaper than alternative digestive health diagnostic tools
BENEFITS FOR THE PATIENT:
Easy to use
Full instructions of how to take a breath sample are included, as well as online videos and telephone support
Flexible
Patients measure hydrogen and methane in their breath whenever it’s convenient with no need for an appointment
Convenient
Once the at-home kit test is completed, it is posted back to us using the free post envelope. Results from the device are available immediately
At-home Breath Kits and Device
Breath Kits
We can offer hydrogen and methane breath testing that can accurately confirm or eliminate the possibility of SIBO or carbohydrate malabsorption. In partnership with the Functional Gut Clinic, we already provide at-home diagnostic hydrogen and methane breath kits to several NHS trusts. A full report of results is provided after the completion and analysis of the test. Costs for the hydrogen and methane breath testing kits are well within the applicable NHS Payment Scheme tariff. Once the kit arrives at our lab, results will typically be available to you in 2-3 working days, with their test results compared to relevant diagnostic guidelines (both UK and NAC), in order to provide the most reliable outcomes.
As establishing hydrogen/methane breath testing in-facility can be complex and expensive to set up and substantial resources to manage, outsourcing HMBT capability to us means that there is no capital outlay or ongoing equipment maintenance costs required.
OMED Health Breath Analyzer
Scientific breakthroughs continue to push us towards personalized healthcare through the development of remote monitoring devices. These devices can help to provide an overall map of a patient’s health which can then be used to ensure accurate medical care, tailored to each individual. We have developed a handheld, multi-use device, the OMED Health Breath Analyzer, that is low-cost, easy to use, and can enable accurate measurement of hydrogen and methane.
The device can help in scenarios where the turnaround for test results from an HMBT is too slow, for example, tracking response to therapy. The device provides real-time results, and clinicians can review results in a timely manner. Also, failed breath samples for an HMBT kit can only be identified at the lab, whereas the device and app provide immediate input to patients on whether their breath sample has been taken correctly so they can redo it if necessary.
Device and Paired App
Used in conjunction with an easy-to-use smartphone app, the OMED Health Breath Analyzer facilitates tracking of food intake and symptoms, alongside breath readings of hydrogen and methane. This enables longitudinal monitoring of the response of the gut microbiome, offering users the ability to gain quantitative information about their diet, symptoms, and gut microbiome over time to make more informed decisions alongside advice from healthcare professionals. Results are immediately viewable via the app, with reports automatically generated that can be shared with healthcare professionals. Access to specialized clinician support directly from OMED Health, Owlstone Medical, or your own clinician partners. Hydrogen and methane breath testing is currently reimbursed in many countries including the U.S. (add 2x CPT 91065×2), and the UK (code RN28Z). The device is also suitable for incorporation into research studies and clinical trials.
Accuracy and Reliability are Core to Our Approach.
OMED Health is the patient-centric brand of Owlstone Medical, the global leader in Breath Biopsy® technology. Owlstone was recently awarded $6.5 funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to advance Owlstone’s Breath Biopsy platform to develop breath-based diagnostics and identify breath biomarkers for infectious diseases.
The OMED Breath Analyzer is a class 1 FDA-registered medical device, and offers performance comparable to gold-standard benchtop instruments at 1/100th of the price. In order to ensure the device measures hydrogen and methane with an accuracy comparable to in-clinic hydrogen methane breath tests (HMBTs) we conducted extensive tests, including building an in-house synthetic breath rig to develop the modeling used. We have also benchmarked the OMED Health Breath Analyzer against a clinically used HMBT device. To find out more about how our device has been designed, development of the gas detection algorithm, and validation data, view our poster from the link below.
REFERENCES, AND ADDITIONAL ARTICLES OR RESOURCES
1. Canavan C, West J, Card T. The epidemiology of irritable bowel syndrome. Clin Epidemiol. 2014 Feb 4;6:71–80. DOI: 10.2147/CLEP.S40245
2. Ghoshal UC, Shukla R, Ghoshal U. Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth and Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Bridge between Functional Organic Dichotomy. Gut Liver. 2017 Mar;11(2):196–208. DOI: 10.5009/gnl16126
Our Insights Hub contains the latest scientific gastrointestinal research and information on the events we will be attending.
Trace Gases & Breath Testing for Gastrointestinal Disorders: A GI Community Chat
Functional Assessment of the Microbiome Webinar
Slides from Functional Assessment of the Microbiome Webinar
Exploring gut health with breath tests and stool sampling
What Hydrogen and Methane can tell you about gut health
To hear more about the OMED Health Breath Analyzer or to explore how it can benefit your patients, customers, or business, please contact us. If you would like to buy one to evaluate before using it in your business, please visit our OMED device webpage.
FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
How much is the OMED Health Breath Analyzer?
This depends on several factors, such as the number of devices that will be required, and the context of how they are intended to be used. Please contact us about the affiliate programme.
FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
How much do tests cost?
Tests are available to the NHS at costs below the NHS tariff. For private tests, insurance companies can be billed directly.
FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
How can I arrange to refer patients for testing?
You can refer patients to the our partners the Functional Gut Clinic for testing and they will manage the complete process including sending out kits, performing analysis and reporting results.
FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
Can the kits be used by the NHS?
Yes. There are several NHS hospitals already using the kits as they have significant benefits for both patients and the hospital:
- Test can be done at home or in an outpatient setting if preferred
- No capital outlay or ongoing maintenance costs
- Reduced waiting lists
- Reduced staff burden
- Test cost is well within the NHS tariff
FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
Is home testing a good alternative to in-clinic HMBT?
Replacing in-clinic tests with at home testing saves time and reduces COVID-19 risks for patients by reducing the number of required clinical consultations. Tests can be performed at the patient’s convenience. Test costs are below the NHS tariff and results are returned rapidly together with specialist interpretation.
FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
Are there any additional risks to home testing?
Home testing is viable, safe and efficient.
>90% of issues with home test results do not affect reliability and can be overcome by slight changes to the analysis process. Invalid baseline samples can be substituted with a surrogate sample. Analysis of time courses with invalid 90 minute samples can be done using 75 minute samples instead. High baseline samples can be re-collected subsequently.
A small number of issues result from patient errors such as failures to follow protocols or label samples correctly.
FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
What reporting criteria do you use for SIBO?
There are two main consensus documents that people follow when interpreting SIBO breath test results, the North American Consensus 2017 and the European Guidelines published by Ledochowski.
European SIBO cut off values ≥ 10 ppm rise in hydrogen above baseline within 60 minutes.
North American SIBO cut off values ≥ 20 ppm rise in hydrogen above baseline within 90 minutes.
We provide a report using both the above as consultants have their own preferences as to which parameters they prefer to use.
Most patients come out either positive for both parameters or negative for both parameters, but in instances where the results are conflicting, we will look at patient symptoms during the test to inform the borderline result or recommend a follow-up glucose test to provide clarity.
FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
I have a different question.
If you have questions that aren’t answered here, then please contact us:
Our FAQ section might not have the answer you’re looking for right now but our team certainly will. If you need answers, contact us
Take control of your gut health with simple at-home breath tests.