Can humans achieve the same sniffing power as dogs?
Dogs have up to 300 million olfactory receptor neurons in their nose, more than 60 times than a human being, which means they can smell changes in blood pressure and glucose levels, detect oncoming seizures or migraines, and even identify potential cancer.
Now, Masoud Agah, executive director for the Virginia Alliance for Semiconductor Technology, is doing research for a new breathalyzer with dog’s ability to smell as inspiration. The conceptual patent for the PIMED (Personalized Integrated Mobile Exhalation Decoder) will ultimately change the way we detect and diagnose disease.
The patent highlights a portable device for analyzing volatile organic compounds in a person’s breath and a microelectromechanical sample collector. The sample collector, powered by a patent-protected “sniffer on a chip,” takes in the breath and, using an absorbing agent, picks up the components for identification by the analyzer.
Here is how this can help in healthcare:
- Instantaneous diagnosis of kidney disease or diabetes via ketones, as just a few examples.
- Noninvasive procedures that can be done at home or in a clinic.
- Reduce the hassle for individuals and medical practices.
Looking to the future, the team plans to take the breathalyzer from drawing board to real-world prototypes, with multiple markets in mind—although the primary focus remains in the health space, with early diagnosis and detection of disease.
How cool is this?