Power of SUNY

SBU Research Simplifies Disease Detection

Researchers at Stony Brook University have developed a new sensor nanotechnology that could revolutionize personalized medicine by making it possible to instantly detect and monitor disease by simply exhaling once into a handheld device.

The new nanomedicine tool is designed to enable individuals to monitor signaling gas—such as acetone in exhaled breath—with their own inexpensive, non-invasive breath analyzer.

The ability to easily capture gases that detect disease early will empower individuals to take control of their own health. And it will simplify the process of monitoring diseases like diabetes. Presently, blood is required to monitor diabetes, but this new process will enable individuals to test themselves by simply breathing once into the device.

There are over 300 compounds in the breath, some of which are established indicators of disease. The only way to be able to use these indicators is with very selective sensors for a particular gas.

The project has been funded by the National Science Foundation and is presently in pre-clinical trials for use in diabetes.