Scientists have invented a hand-held breath monitor that could detect the flu virus.
The device has been developed by researchers at the University of Texas, Arlington, and is similar to the breathalyzers used by police officers in suspected cases of driving under the influence of alcohol.
The single-exhale sensing device uses semiconductor sensors similar to those in a household carbon monoxide detector. However, these sensors are specific to the gas detected and can isolate biomarkers associated with the flu virus, to indicate whether the person has the flu.
The team found a combination of sensors for biomarkers present in the breath of a person affected by a particular disease. People with asthma have increased nitric oxide concentration in their breath, while acetone is a biomarker for diabetes and metabolic processes. The device includes nitric oxide and ammonia sensors, to accurately detect the flu virus.
“I think that technology like this is going to revolutionize personalized diagnostics. It can easily be used to detect other diseases, such as Ebola virus disease, simply by changing the sensors,” said Perena Gouma, professor in the Materials Science and Engineering Department at the University of Texas.
âThis technology could be used by ordinary people to quickly and accurately diagnose illness,â said Gouma, adding that the device could potentially detect the flu virus as well as tests done in a doctorâs office.
The device could be available in drugstores so that people can be diagnosed early and take medicine to treat the flu in its earliest stages. The new device may help to prevent the spreading of flu epidemics, protecting both individual and public health.
An article on the working of the device and the research behind its creation was published in the journal Sensors.
