Scientists from Kaoshiung University (Taiwan) have achieved the performance of creating an artificial nose capable of detecting infections and sepsis. This detector is presented as a bottle filled with a mixture of nutrients for bacteria. This cocktail (the nose) is made up of 36 colored sensors sensitive to odorous molecules. Depending on the bacteria they have identified, they take on a particular and unique color.
The patient’s blood is injected into the container, the bacteria will analyze the type of infection and color according to the bacteria found.
A very fast diagnostic system
“ The nose would be able to detect infections in the blood and in 24 hours whereas current techniques require 24 to 48 hours of culture just to confirm the presence of bacteria. Another 24 hour step is needed to identify the type of bacteria and select an appropriate antibiotic treatment. In this interval, the patient may die of sepsis. », Recalls James Carey, scientist from the University of Kaoshiung (Taiwan) at the origin of the project. While ” our artificial nose can analyze 8 of the most common bacteria that cause infections with 99% certainty in just 24 hours“.
An accessible and inexpensive method
For James Carey, “ this method is easy to use, requires a minimum of training and has a modest cost, it is therefore an alternative to traditional tests in the most disadvantaged countries “.
Sepsis, an infection of the blood also kills 250,000 people in the United States. This artificial nose could therefore save a lot of life.
Smell is a very powerful principle for detecting certain diseases. Different scientific studies have concluded that sniffer dogs are just as useful in screening for cancer. They have already shown that they are able to detect lung cancer in patients’ breath, bladder cancer from urine, and even prostate cancer.
