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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."

2 of 112 comments (clear)

  1. I can even do this. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Redundant

    "can sniff out cancer by sampling people's breath."

    Yeah, it is called cigarette smoke, and we've known it is a carcinogen for 40 years now. I do have trouble identifying which stench is the benzyne, and which is the nicotine though ;-)

  2. I can even do this. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Redundant

    "can sniff out cancer by sampling people's breath."

    Yeah, it is called cigarette smoke, and we've known it is a carcinogen for 40 years now. I do have trouble identifying which stench is the benzyne, and which is the nicotine though ;-)