NA-NOSE TECHNOLOGY DIAGNOSES CANCER AND OTHER DISEASES BY SNIFFING

Each human being has a unique chemical “fingerprint”; likewise, each disease its unique chemical signature which can be detected on our breath…

Here's the guiding theory behind the latest landmark innovation in medical diagnostics, the NA-NOSE technology.

There’s no gainsaying that several improvement have been recorded in medical technology including diagnostic tests in recent years. Added to these now is the NA-NOSE technology, an innovation spearheaded by Prof. Hossam Haick at the Israel Institute of Technology. NA-NOSE is an abbreviation for Nanoscale Artificial Nose, a diagnostic mechanism designed for the detection of various types of cancer and other diseases.

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A distinct feature of the NA-NOSE is its ability to detect cancer at its very stage which effectively combats challenges associated with other forms of diagnosis such as slow processing, false-testing, side effects, and high costs which in some way pose danger to the patients.

Way back in antiquity, smell was a potent diagnostic tool. Urine and breath were used in diagnosing diseases by ancient Greeks. Looking at technology scenary today, it appears modern scientists are tapping inspirations from those ancient sciences - and arts - for their inventions. Breath has volatile biomarkers necessary for identifying many diseases, and its analysis effectively captures changes in human health in a non-invasive manner.

How the NA-NOSE works

The NA-NOSE device detects diseases with the help of its nanowire sensors algorithms by differentiating between healthy and unhealthy cells. It consists of sensor chambers with a breathing tube and software which sniffs out particles released by tumors, antigens, or foreign bodies into the blood stream which later get released into the breath. Embedded in the NA-NOSE device are nanorays which aid in detecting the chemistry of diseases by interpreting the chemical composition of breath. The technology can smell and identify the various chemical compositions of breath and through it, can diagnose as much as 17 potential diseases without the help of biopsies or time-consuming blood tests.

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NA-NOSE with labelled parts

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The NA-NOSE system is also designed to perceive certain changes in biological compositions, metabolism, and blood and can also be applied during surgical operations to locate biomarkers in progression stages.

A distinct feature of the NA-NOSE system is that it is a pseudo-nose that detects anomalies including cancerous growths in human body in its premature or asymptomatic stage, unlike most other diagnostic tools available. This of course helps in identifying the most appropriate treatment response in time which ultimately lead to a reduction in mortality rate due to those ailments.

The e-nose does not substitute for therapy but is an effective screening device in diagnosis.

NA-NOSE, a technology with good prospects

From every indication, the NA-NOSE system is a promising innovation with potentials in making diagnostic tests more reliable and non-invasive unlike most diagnostic mechanisms like standard blood tests. So far, the innovation has recorded high degree of accuracy (about 86% accuracy) from tests conducted on cancer patients.

Now licensed for the identification of diseases such as MRSA, Streptococcu, cancers, Staphylococcus, chickenpox, and some other bacterial infections, etc, the NA-NOSE system is set to revolutionalize diagnostics in the shortest possible time.

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Several companies so far have licensed the NA-NOSE technology with the hope of creating commercial production of the device once officially approved and recommended for public use. Among these are applications to transform our smartphones into “sniffphones” with the NA-NOSE technology. This would certainly be interesting. I foresee life get a lot easier as 'laymen' would have handy means to monitor their health routinely.

For the time being however, the Nanoscale Artificial Nose((NA-NOSE) yet has to meet further clinical trials/testings and regulations before getting approved officially especially with respect to distinguishing environmental chemicals from body chemicals in order to clearly “understand the origin and biochemical pathways leading to diseases-related markers in human breath.” But this is no issue given that milestones have already been recorded in the research. And with the fact that similar researches have been under way by other scientists across countries and continents, it is only a matter of time, NA-NOSE and other health-sniffing apparatuses would surround us.

Conclusion

The NA-NOSE technology is a very welcoming innovation in a world where many are plagued with diseases, mostly from environmental pollution. It would give humans the convenience of detecting sicknesses early without much ado as per the cost processes. And with this comes appropriate and prompt treatment, and ultimately, prolonged human life.

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