Scientists create robotic nose that ‘can SNIFF out 17 diseases – including these killers – with 86% accuracy’
The 'nose' takes breath samples from patients and measures the levels of unique chemicals to determine if people have illnesses from Parkinson's to IBS and various cancers
SCIENTISTS have developed a robotic nose that can sniff out 17 deadly diseases.
It takes breath samples and measures unique chemicals that indicate whether a person has an underlying illness.
Experts said the device was 86 per cent accurate at picking up conditions.
Illnesses tested include kidney disease, Parkinson’s, bladder tumours and head and neck cancer.
Researchers have been working for years to develop a “sniff-and-diagnose” tool.
Now a team from the Israel Institute of Technology have found each sickness has its own “breathprint” – distinctive chemical signals.
By testing the breath of 1,404 adults in the lab, they were successfully able to spot a disease.
Scientists now hope to miniaturise the device, so it can be used in clinics across the world.
Lead researcher Dr Hossam Haick said: “Blind experiments showed that 86 per cent accuracy could be achieved with the artificially intelligent nanoarray [bionic nose], allowing both detection and discrimination between the different disease conditions examined.”
Blind experiments showed that 86 per cent accuracy could be achieved with the artificially intelligent nanoarray [robotic nose], allowing both detection and discrimination between the different disease conditions examined
Dr Hossam Haick
Experts hope it would allow medics to carry out checks without the need for painful and invasive blood tests and biopsies.
The study, published in the journal ACS Nano, concludes: “These findings could contribute to one of the most important criteria for successful health intervention in the modern era.
WHAT ARE THE 17 DISEASES?
The new test was found to detect these 17 diseases, with 86 per cent accuracy:
1. chronic kidney failure
2. idiopathic Parkinson's disease
3. atypical Parkinsonism
4. multiple sclerosis
5. Crohn's disease
6. ulcerative colitis
7. irritable bowel syndrome
8. pulmonary arterial hypertension
9. pre-eclampsia in pregnant women
10. head and neck cancer
11. lung cancer
12. colorectal cancer
13. bladder cancer
14. kidney cancer
15. prostate cancer
16. gastric cancer
17. ovarian cancer
“Easy-to-use, inexpensive, and miniaturised tools that could also be used for personalised screening, diagnosis, and follow-up of a number of diseases.”
Hippocrates, the father of medicine, used to advise his students to smell their patient’s breath.
Diseases such as diabetes are known to create a sweet smell.
And historically, medics would smell the poo of royal babies to check for signs of disease.
Dogs can also sniff illnesses such as cancer.
Charity Medical Detection Dogs is carrying out trial with the NHS to see if pooches can improve prostate tumour detection.