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Sniffing Out Cancer

Posted by Hemos on from the find-it-and-destroy-it dept.

Makarand writes "Researchers at the Univeristy of Rome are developing an electronic nose that can sniff out cancer by sampling people's breath. The instrument uses sensors that respond to the presence of chemical compounds in the patient's breath. For example, lung cancer patients exhale alkanes and benzene derivatives which the electronic nose will try to detect. The sensors are quartz crystal sensors coated with a substance that binds to a range of organic chemicals. If certain molecules in the breath bind to this surface coating they change the natural vibration frequency of the crystal."

4 of 112 comments (clear)

  1. Cool by lylum · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    One step closer to having Dr. Beverly Crusher become real.

  2. My cat's breath... by Karl_Hungus · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    smells like cat cancer.

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    Freeper Logic
  3. Re:I can even do this. by jagilbertvt · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Me either.. I was really going for a +1 funny :).

  4. better than smoking by VanillaCoke420 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    sniffing is better than smoking, if you remember to remove the icecubes from the coke first