Sniff your way to good health
New mobile app promises diagnostics by smell
Professor Hossam Haick of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology is working on a mobile device called SniffPhone to provide diagnostics. The model includes an ‘electronic nose’ that would identify smell-producing molecules in a patient’s breath or urine to allow for an early diagnosis of different diseases.
The concept was born out of studies of dogs that were able to sniff out prostate cancer with an accuracy of 98%. The goal of SniffPhone is to provide convenient, non-invasive, early diagnoses of life-threatening diseases.
Right now, research of this technology is moving towards the ability to diagnose halitosis, dehydration and metabolic rate, but eventually, the goal is the ability to diagnose pathogens, allergens, diabetes and cancer.