Precision gas analytics · Made in Germany
We make the invisible measurable. ION-GAS develops instruments and software for the rapid, highly sensitive detection of trace substances in breath and other gases.
Founded in 2014. A spin-off from TU Dortmund University and the Leibniz Institute for Analytical Sciences – ISAS.
Year founded
Research funding
Breath measurements
Application areas
Our applications
From breath screening to gas quality and bioprocess research, our platform brings analytical science into practical applications.
A mobile cannabis breath screening system designed for use on site, with non-invasive sampling and rapid analysis.
GC-IMS combines rapid separation with sensitive detection. Potential applications include workplace screening, fleet operations and authorities. Screening results do not themselves establish impairment.
A system developed for continuous hydrogen quality monitoring, supporting the identification of trace contaminants.
Hydrogen quality is an important parameter across its supply and use. H₂IMS applies ION-GAS analytical expertise to monitoring gas quality.
Collaborative research into bioprocess monitoring and control, and non-invasive infection diagnostics.
MiKI explores GC-IMS monitoring and control of fermentation processes. ViBa-IMS investigates characteristic markers associated with viral and bacterial infections. These are research applications.
Inside the technology
GC-IMS brings together two complementary separation techniques. Gas chromatography separates compounds over time; ion mobility spectrometry distinguishes their ions by movement through a drift gas in an electric field. Together, they reveal patterns that our instruments and software can analyse.
Breath, gas or volatile compounds released from a material. Sampling and optional preconcentration are adapted to the analytical question.
Compounds pass through a chromatographic column at different rates, producing characteristic retention times.
After ionisation, ions move through a drift region. Their characteristic drift times provide a second analytical dimension.
Retention time, drift time and signal intensity form a fingerprint. Reference data and calibrated methods support identification and quantification.
A modular analytical platform
Our analytical toolbox combines sampling, optional microextraction or thermal desorption, chromatographic separation and IMS detection. The configuration is selected for the sample and the substances being investigated.
This flexibility supports applications ranging from cannabis breath screening and hydrogen quality monitoring to research into microbial signatures and bioprocesses.
A GC-IMS measurement combines chromatographic retention time with ion drift time. Signal intensity adds information that can be related to concentration through appropriate calibration. Measurement time, sensitivity and interpretation depend on the instrument configuration, sample and validated analytical method.
Medical research applications require application-specific studies and validation before clinical use. Research into bacterial identification and infection markers does not imply that these applications are available as approved diagnostic products.
Research & application areas
Our research portfolio explores how gas and breath analysis can support healthcare, environmental monitoring and the detection of hazardous compounds.
Research into bacterial identification, infections including pneumonia, and antimicrobial resistance.
Exploring breath analysis in nephrology, diabetes and the investigation of infection-related markers.
Research into analytical applications involving propofol, isoflurane, sevoflurane and ketamine.
Mobile cannabis breath screening with IONdrug, alongside research applications involving alcohol.
Funded project portfolio
Research topics across our funded projects include:
Medical applications described here are research and development areas. They do not imply that approved clinical diagnostic or medication-monitoring products are currently available.
Current & past research collaborations
Our research brings together clinical institutions, universities, research organisations and industry partners across different projects.
Bioprocess monitoring & control
GC-IMS analysis of fermentation exhaust gases to support metabolic monitoring and AI-based control of biotechnological food production.
Infection diagnostics research
Research into rapid, non-invasive breath analysis to distinguish viral and bacterial respiratory infections. ION-GAS investigates characteristic markers from laboratory virus cultures.
About us
Founded in 2014 as a spin-off from TU Dortmund University and the Leibniz Institute for Analytical Sciences (ISAS), ION-GAS GmbH develops instruments and software that rapidly detect trace substances in breath and other gases. Its technology combines gas chromatography with ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS).
Its lead commercial product, IONdrug, is a mobile cannabis breath test designed for use on site. According to the company, it delivers a result approximately 90 seconds after sampling. More than 1,000 breath measurements have been conducted, with devices used at music festivals and by police in Hamburg and North Rhine-Westphalia.
ION-GAS has sold already seven devices with a combined value of approximately EUR 500,000: two to universities in the United States, one to Saarland University, two to clinics in Spain and two for the AMMOD project at the University of Bonn. The real roll-out is expected to take place in 2027.
The company currently has six employees and plans to expand its core team to ten following the proposed capital raise, using external specialists for additional capacity.
The platform extends beyond cannabis testing. H₂IMS addresses continuous hydrogen quality monitoring, while research projects including MiKI and ViBa-IMS explore bioprocess control and non-invasive infection diagnostics. ION-GAS was named “Best Medical Diagnostics Analytical Devices Manufacturer – Europe” at the 2022 GHP Technology Awards.
ION-GAS has received EUR 2.15 million in research funding to date and expects a further EUR 680,000 from ongoing projects by 2028. Its business plan targets EUR 22.5 million in annual revenue by 2030 from cannabis testing devices alone; potential revenue from other pipeline products is excluded.
Management
Managing Director
Dr. Chandrasekhara Hariharan leads ION-GAS as its Managing Director. His published research covers GC-IMS applications in food characterisation, ecosystem monitoring and cannabis breath detection, connecting analytical science with practical applications.
Selected research publication
Management Team
Dr. Wolfgang Vautz is a member of the ION-GAS management team. His published research spans ion mobility spectrometry, cannabis breath detection and the analysis of volatile compounds, bringing scientific expertise across the company’s analytical technology platform.
Selected research publication
Management Team
Sascha Liedtke is a member of the ION-GAS management team. His published research includes GC-IMS applications in food analysis and the measurement of volatile compounds in plants, reflecting his involvement in the platform’s analytical applications.
Selected research publicationGet in touch
Talk to us about our instruments, an analytical challenge or a research collaboration.
Legal information
Information pursuant to Section 5 of the German Digital Services Act (DDG).
ION-GAS GmbH
MST.factory dortmund
Konrad-Adenauer-Allee 11
44263 Dortmund
Germany
Dr. Chandrasekhara Hariharan
Managing Director
Telephone: +49 162 101 6163
Email: info@ion-gas.de
Register court: Amtsgericht Dortmund
Registration number: HRB 26885
Registered office: Dortmund
Share capital (Stammkapital): EUR 188,000
Fully paid up
VAT identification number: DE298231406
Raed Achkar
c/o ION-GAS GmbH
Konrad-Adenauer-Allee 11
44263 Dortmund
Germany
Data protection
Last updated: 30 September 2026
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Konrad-Adenauer-Allee 11, 44263 Dortmund, Germany
Email: info@ion-gas.de
Telephone: +49 162 101 6163
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