Oct 8 2010
Stony Brook University researchers have devised a novel nanomedicine system for distinguishing the signaling gas from the expelled air which can aid people to inspect their diseased status.
Perena Gouma, a researcher at the university explained that the device is a single breath evaluation clinical tool for identifying metabolic activities and illnesses and can be deployed for monitoring diabetes, lung cancer and cholesterol rates. She added that lung cancer cannot be diagnosed at the early stages and can be detected only if the cancerous cells are spread widely, but by employing this device, the marker molecules can be identified from the breath, which act as a prior indicator of the cancer.
A single exhaled air comprises numerous compounds that can act as a prior indicator of the diseased condition and monitor the health status.
According to Gouma with the advent of innovative nano sensor-technology, it is possible to track the particular gases or families of gases of interest. Her recent research is focused on the the identification of acetone gas for checking the diabetic condition. Currently, this method of detection requires the evaluation of blood for monitoring diabetes, but this new technique will allow the person to perform self-checking by simply breathing a single time into the device.
These research explorations are published in the IEEE January 2010 issue which emphasizes Gouma’s research on the ammonia gas identification in the exhaled air. Gouma's breath analysing device is now undergoing preclinical tests employing diabetic patients.
Source: http://www.stonybrook.edu