Globally, 43% of people with diabetes (around 252 million individuals) are unaware that they suffer from this condition. In many cases, the diagnosis is delayed, as traditional tests require time, resources, and a visit to a medical facility.
Now, diabetes can be detected through
breathing. And this is only the beginning.
A New Breath Sensor: Diagnosis Without a Laboratory
A research team led by Associate Professor of Engineering Huanyu “Larry” Cheng at Penn State University has developed a sensor that can determine diabetes and prediabetes in just a few minutes from a breath sample. The study's results were published in the Chemical Engineering Journal.The procedure is simple: a breath sample
is collected in a special bag, which is then brought into contact with the
sensor, and the result is obtained within minutes. No blood test or laboratory
examination is required.
What Is Acetone and Why Is It in Our Breath?
Traditional diabetes tests measure blood glucose levels, but this new technology takes a different approach: it analyzes acetone in the breath.Acetone is a natural substance formed
during fat breakdown. It is also present in small amounts in the breath of
healthy individuals. But when the level rises above one part in 1.8 million, it
indicates a risk of diabetes.
Why Is This Small Device So Smart?
The sensor’s effectiveness comes from the materials used in its construction. To create it, researchers employed laser-induced graphene — a porous graphene layer formed by laser on a polyimide film, capable of capturing gas molecules.However, graphene alone is not selective
enough to distinguish acetone from other gases. That is why zinc oxide was
added to the material. This combination makes the sensor sensitive only to
acetone while ignoring other substances.
Another challenge was the high humidity in
the breath: water molecules could displace acetone and distort the results. To
solve this, researchers added a selective membrane — a special layer that
blocks water but allows acetone to pass through.
What Could This Technology Become in the Future?
Currently, the device requires collecting a breath sample in a special bag. But the next step is to design a sensor that can be placed directly under the nose or integrated into a mask.The most exciting part is that this
technology could be used not only for the early detection of diabetes but also
for personalized health monitoring. Acetone levels are influenced by diet,
physical activity, and lifestyle. This means that in the future, the sensor
could show you:
- How suitable is your
diet?
- How your exercise
program affects your body.
- Even though fasting
or carbohydrate intake impacts your system.
“If we can understand how acetone levels
change with diet and physical activity, this technology could create great
opportunities not only for diagnostics but also for daily health monitoring,”
emphasizes Larry Cheng.
Is a Future Without Needles for Diagnosis Possible?
With this technology:- People will be able
to monitor their health without pain or discomfort.
- Diabetes risk can be
detected in advance.
- Diabetic
complications will be reduced or prevented.
- Health monitoring will become more accessible and personalized.
The project is funded by the U.S. National
Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The team
is already working on a commercial version of the device.
Preventing diabetes may be as close as a single breath.
Source: New breath sensor detects diabetes quickly and easily - sciencedaily.com