Breathalyser detects 17 illnesses through breath analysis

Wednesday, December 28, 2016
News
This can be read in the scientific journal ACS Nano where the American research amongst 1404 persons was published. The researchers used a device that analyses the chemical composition of the breath. The device measures the different substances in the exhaled air. This air contains nitrogen, carbon, oxygen and traces of hundred other substances. The quantity of the substances depends on the health of the individual.
 
Each disease is characterized by a unique chemical composition in the breath as the scientists discovered. They also found that the device can find several diseases simultaneously.

Chemical features

"Just like everyone has a unique fingerprint, also every disease that we studied have their own fingerprint," says Professor Hossam Haick. "A disease has its own chemical characteristics."

The device is able to detect seventeen different diseases, including lung cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, Crohn's disease and Parkinson's disease, according to the scientists. A portable breath test device at the cost of 24 dollar holds the new technology. There has been previous research on breath analysis, but most tools focus on only one disease.