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Breath Test For Diseases: Low-Cost Optical Sensor Developed
14 Nov
Summary
- New optical sensing technique uses laser and detector for disease screening.
- Breath analysis identifies disease markers through volatile organic compounds.
- This approach offers a cost-effective alternative to complex lab instruments.
Researchers have developed a groundbreaking, low-cost optical sensing approach for non-invasive disease screening through breath analysis. This innovative technique, demonstrated by scientists from CATS Global and VIT-A.P. University, utilizes a simple laser and a position-sensitive optical detector. It identifies unique optical signatures of disease-related chemical compounds present in exhaled breath.
Human breath contains hundreds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can indicate metabolic changes associated with various diseases. However, traditional breath analysis methods often rely on costly and complex laboratory instruments. This new photonic elastic-backscatter fingerprinting method offers a simpler, more economical solution.
The research, published on November 6, 2026, in Scientific Reports, shows that this technique can effectively detect and classify disease-associated gas mixtures. It achieves this by analyzing subtle changes in scattered laser light, suggesting a future of compact and portable optical sensing systems for health screening.
