A device under development at Missouri S&T could use breath to detect disease

Missouri University of Science Technology electrical engineering professor Jie Huang developed a device that could detect dangerous gases in the air in 2019.

“We were very proud it worked, but then when the coronavirus pandemic hit, the team wondered if the same technology could be used to detect COVID-19,” Huang said.

Turns out, it couldn’t.

But the research led Huang to start looking at various volatile organic compounds that are found in people’s breath that are indicators of diseases and viruses. The result was a device that can detect ailments, and Huang and his team were granted a U.S. patent for the technology.

“There is significant evidence that shows some diseases, including diabetes and kidney disease, leave certain compounds in our breath,” Huang said. “Our device can detect them.”

Huang said the technology would be used for initial screening and not a final diagnosis. But it could save time and money.