Ketone Innovations  ·  Maker of KetoWhistle

Metabolic insight,
on every breath.

Our proof-of-concept product, KetoWhistle, is being explored across diabetes care, therapeutic ketogenic diets, elite & community sport, and health & wellness applications.

Scientific advisor
Prof. Lan Fu
Prof. Lan Fu
Head, Electronic Materials Engineering · ANU Research School of Physics. Optoelectronic devices & semiconductor nanostructures.
Clinical advisor
Hon. Prof. Chris Nolan
Hon. Prof. Chris Nolan
ANU School of Medicine & Psychology. Diabetes & endocrinology.
Detection range
0.4ppb → 10kppm
Sub-ppb sensitivity demonstrated in lab gas testing. Basal breath sits 300–800 ppb.
Time to result
Rapid
Point-of-care tool — designed for in-clinic, paramedic, and home use.
Partner with us → See the data ↓
Our flagship product

Meet KetoWhistle.

An early proof-of-concept in our metabolic sensing platform. A handheld breath analyser that aims to provide ketone readings as a rapid point-of-care tool — without finger-prick blood draws or urine collection.

KetoWhistle

A handheld breath analyser designed with clinicians, patients, and athletes in mind — exploring real-time ketone data without the invasiveness or hassle of blood strips.

  • Handheld breath analyser — rapid point-of-care readout
  • Sensor detection range 0.4 ppb to >10,000 ppm demonstrated in lab gas testing (Wei et al., Advanced Science, 2024)
  • Correlation with blood β-hydroxybutyrate (BOHB) of r=0.89 reported in Minh et al. 2020, J Breath Res. Figures attributable to that sensor technology, not the KetoWhistle device.
  • Designed to reduce reliance on strips, lancets, and blood — replaceable mouthpieces likely (TBC)
  • Pilot partnerships open now
Request a pilot →
The Science

Breath acetone tracks β-hydroxybutyrate (BOHB) in independent research.

Acetone is exhaled in proportion to ketogenesis. The underlying sensor technology measures acetone at parts-per-billion in lab gas testing, across a range that spans healthy fasted breath to diabetic ketoacidosis. See references below.

Breath acetone vs blood β-hydroxybutyrate (BOHB)
Minh et al. 2020, J Breath Res; n=42, r=0.89. Figures attributable to that sensor technology, not the KetoWhistle device.
0 1 2 3 4 5 0 20 40 60 80 100 Blood BOHB (mmol/L) Breath acetone (ppm) R = 0.89 n = 42
0.4ppb
Sub-ppb sensitivity demonstrated in lab gas testing. Basal breath sits 300–800 ppb.
>1,250ppm
Upper range covers diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) profile reported in Anderson 2015.

Breath acetone by clinical state

Typical exhaled acetone, parts per million. Log scale (1 → 10 → 100 → 1,000 ppm). Ranges per Anderson 2015.
Basal
0.5–2 ppm
Keto (adult)
5–40 ppm
Fasting
5–170 ppm
Epilepsy KD (children)
40–360 ppm
Poorly-controlled diabetes
2–75 ppm
DKA
75–1,250 ppm
1 ppm10 ppm100 ppm1,000 ppm
References  ·  independent literature underpinning the figures above
  1. Wei, X. et al. (2024). Advanced Science — primary reference for the breath-acetone sensor detection range (0.4 ppb to >10,000 ppm). Open-access link to the full paper.
  2. Minh, T. D. C. et al. (2020). Journal of Breath Research — correlation of exhaled acetone with blood β-hydroxybutyrate; r=0.89 reported across independent cohorts.
  3. Anderson, J. C. (2015). Obesity (Silver Spring) — measurement of breath acetone as a marker of fat oxidation and ketogenic state.
  4. Bastide, R. et al. (2023). Sensors & Diagnostics — metal-oxide nanostructured breath acetone sensors for clinical and metabolic applications.

All figures and ranges on this page derive from independent published research. KetoWhistle is currently under research and development and is not yet TGA or FDA approved.

Partners

Built with clinicians, athletes, and engineers.

Ketone Innovations works with research institutions, health services, professional sports, and Australian design and venture leaders to develop KetoWhistle and the platform behind it. Patent coverage in place (specifics on request).

Australian National University
Australian National University
Canberra Health Services
Canberra Health Services
Outerspace Design
Outerspace Design
Solentropy
Solentropy
Applications

Multiple markets. One sensor.

Our sensors' sensitivity range maps to use case settings where ketone monitoring matters most — and where existing tools fail patients on cost, comfort, or coverage.

Diabetes & DKA

537M adults worldwide · AUD $962M/yr preventable costs

Catch ketoacidosis before the emergency room.

  • Painless daily ketone check for Type 1 patients
  • Detects DKA risk hours before symptoms escalate
  • No fingertip lancing — improves adherence in paediatric care
  • Captures full DKA range (>1,000 ppm)
  • Suits home, clinic, paramedic and ED triage settings

Therapeutic keto

Epilepsy, oncology, metabolic disease

Sustain therapeutic ketosis without the test-strip burden.

  • Continuous verification of ketogenic state for clinical diets
  • Alternative to blood β-hydroxybutyrate (BOHB) strips (~$1 each in box quantities)
  • Suitable for paediatric epilepsy protocols
  • Supports clinical trials in oncology & neurodegenerative research
  • Captures slow drift out of ketosis missed by urine strips

Sports & performance

AUD $12B sports-science market

Optimise fuel partitioning in real time.

  • Breath acetone peaks at the aerobic-to-threshold transition — a non-invasive proxy for the anaerobic threshold
  • Significant correlation with blood ketones and RER at 70% VO₂max (Kim et al., 2020)
  • Confirm diet strategy is shifting substrate utilisation to fat burning
  • Pre-training fuelling decisions based on real metabolic state
  • Pilot partnership exploring application in elite high-performance settings

Aged care & malnutrition

Up to 85% of nursing home residents affected

An objective marker before consequences are established.

  • Malnutrition affects up to 50% of elderly hospital patients and 85% of nursing-home residents — frequently undetected
  • Rising ketones signal a person is not eating enough — earlier than questionnaires can
  • Reliable in patients with cognitive difficulties where self-report fails
  • Earlier nutritional support reduces infection, slow healing, and mortality risk
  • No needles, no strips — usable by non-clinical care staff
Why our approach

Designed for range, sensitivity, and ease of use.

Existing ketone-monitoring tools each trade coverage, cost, or comfort for accuracy. KetoWhistle aims to address all key desired attributes identified in our Product Market Fit report interviews — the foundation of the broader Ketone Innovations metabolic sensing platform.

Attribute KetoWhistle Blood strips Urine strips Current breath sensors Continuous monitor
Non-invasive (no blood) Yes No Yes Yes Minimal
Sensitivity below 1 ppm 0.4 ppb Yes No No Yes
Captures DKA range (>1000 ppm) Yes Yes Partial No Yes
Minimal consumables Mouthpieces TBD No No Partial No
Rapid point of care Designed for Yes ~60 s Yes Continuous
Correlation with blood BOHB r=0.89 (lit.) Gold std. No No Yes
Cost per measurement Low (TBC) ~$1 $0.30 Varies $100+/mo
Get in touch

Talk to us about clinical trials, distribution, or co-investment.

KetoWhistle is open to research collaborations, strategic partners, and licensees across health, sport, and consumer wellness.

Contact Ketone Innovations → Partnership enquiry →
General enquiries
Ketone Innovations
Research collaborations, pilots, partnerships
info@ketoneinnovations.com.au
Commercialisation
Solentropy
Strategy, IP, partnerships
solentropy.com.au