Soon, doctors may be able to examine patients using an electronic “nose” to detect unusual odors released by their bodies when suffering from a disease or in a certain health condition.
The mechanical nose, developed and tested in the SPOT-NOSED project, has the potential to radically change the way doctors currently diagnose illnesses.
The technology used for the device is inspired by the human olfactory system, yet its effectiveness can be compared to the noses of more sensitive animals, such as mice or dogs.
Óscar Ruiz, a professor in the Department of Electronics at the University of Barcelona, Spain, and a member of the project, stated that the device consists of a layer of protein—designed to mimic natural olfactory receptors—placed on a gold microelectrode attached to a 2-millimeter-long computer chip.
One end of the chip is immersed in a liquid chamber, which contains additional electrodes. All the electrodes are connected to a device that measures electrochemical changes.
The research team pumps odor-causing chemicals into the liquid chamber to record the signal spectrum generated when the olfactory receptors come into contact with them. For example, skin cancer cells produce a characteristic electrochemical spectrum. Inactive organs, infections, or other tissue cells also generate their own spectra. When they are healthy, the resulting spectrum will differ.
The research team indicated that a commercial device could be launched within the next 5 to 10 years. They still need to address a few significant issues.
T. An
