Increasing conclusiveness of clinical breath analysis by improved baseline correction of multi capillary column – ion mobility spectrometry (MCC-IMS) data

•Three baseline correction methods are evaluated in the analysis of MCC-IMS data.•Top-hat method is selected as the optimum baseline correction method.•Top-hat method is included in the data analysis strategy for MCC-IMS datasets.•Large dataset on a healthy and respiratory disease population is analyzed.•MCC-IMS spectra differences associated with respiratory diseases are provided.

Current challenges of clinical breath analysis include large data size and non-clinically relevant variations observed in exhaled breath measurements, which should be urgently addressed with competent scientific data tools. In this study, three different baseline correction methods are evaluated within a previously developed data size reduction strategy for multi capillary column – ion mobility spectrometry (MCC-IMS) datasets. Introduced for the first time in breath data analysis, the Top-hat method is presented as the optimum baseline correction method. A refined data size reduction strategy is employed in the analysis of a large breathomic dataset on a healthy and respiratory disease population. New insights into MCC-IMS spectra differences associated with respiratory diseases are provided, demonstrating the additional value of the refined data analysis strategy in clinical breath analysis.

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