World's First Breathalyzer to Detect Infectious Diseases

Healthcare screenings and diagnostics can be a hassle - they take up time, are invasive, expensive, and may not be equally accessible to all social groups. However, the air that we exhale is a rich source of information about our current health. The exchange that occurs between the blood and the air in the lungs allows for an accurate representation of diseases through their unique metabolic biomarkers. Now, an AI-powered breathalyzer designed to examine these metabolic biomarkers could enable quick, inexpensive, diagnosis of various diseases.

Noze (Montreal, Canada), an AI startup that has developed a technology to digitize the sense of smell, is building a breathalyzer, powered by its platform, to detect breath biomarkers (VOCs). This will allow for the rapid screening and diagnostics of infectious diseases like malaria and tuberculosis which are highly prevalent, especially in developing countries. Malaria, which is recognized as one of the most significant global public health crises, is both a leading cause of disease and death in developing countries, causing more harm to young children and expectant mothers. Noze’s long-term goal is to ensure global access to an efficient detection device, which can help mitigate the transmission of such diseases, enable early treatment, and enhance patient outcomes in developing countries.

Image: An affordable and easy to use breathalyzer can accurately detect infectious diseases to help millions of people (Photo courtesy of Noze)

Noze continues to advance and improve its AI-based digital odor perception platform, with a particular emphasis on medical and health issues. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Noze's technology took center stage when it was the first to detect the airborne markers released by individuals infected with coronavirus and influenza. This groundbreaking achievement has unlocked new possibilities in healthcare by using digital sense of smell to tackle diagnostic challenges. Noze is committed to developing a diagnostic breathalyzer by the end of 2023 with plans for clinical validation soon after.

"Breath-based diagnostics will be a game-changer for healthcare accessibility, and our ability to launch a portable device and deliver it on a massive, worldwide scale can be a powerful new tool to fight the spread of Malaria and Tuberculosis, in addition to many other diseases," said Karim Aly, CEO at Noze.

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