One of the most common COVID-19 tests involves a long swab pressed deep into the nasal cavities – and while the test can be administered quickly, it has been described as unpleasant and uncomfortable.
Now researchers at The Ohio State University are working on a testing system that would require a simple exhaled breath. Perena Gouma is the primary investigator of a team developing a breathalyzer device that will sample breath for key biomarkers of the infection. She says it would serve as an alternative to current tests that are expensive, can take a long time to get results and require specialized personnel to do the sampling and to analyze the results.
Gouma, director of the Advanced Ceramics Research Laboratory and professor in the College of Engineering, is working with co-investigator Andrew Bowman, associate professor of veterinary preventive medicine. The project was awarded a nearly $200,000 National Science Foundation EAGER grant this month under a program supporting exploratory, early-stage research on untested, but potentially transformative, ideas or approaches.
“Breath analysis is not really a technique that is used widely in the medical field yet, so it is considered early-stage work,” Gouma said. “[We] have a sensor device that detects nitric oxide and VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in breath and can be used to tell you about the onset of an infectious disease.”
In addition to nitric oxide, the device examines two other metabolites that could specifically indicate the presence of a COVID-19 infection even in asymptomatic patients. Exhaling once in the breathalyzer may help with earlier detection of the onset of the disease, as well as with monitoring of the severity of the infection, which could help reduce the risk for worsening of the symptoms and allow timely therapeutic intervention, she said.
The new project builds upon Gouma’s invention of a hand-held breath monitor that may provide early detection of flu before symptoms appear prior to her arrival at Ohio State. The COVID-19 breathalyzer involves advances on nanomaterials for detecting specific breath gases at the concentrations of interest for making a diagnosis.
The breathalyzer gives results rapidly (15 seconds response time), it is extremely inexpensive, and it is easy to use so that there is no need for trained personnel to perform the test, Gouma said. The results can be viewed directly on the display or they can be transferred to the physician wirelessly.
“We are working on making these hand-held monitors that will be widely distributed and they’re very inexpensive,” she said. “The technology evolved from the sensors used for monitoring gases in an automotive exhaust – that’s how we started on breath analysis 20 years ago.”
Image Credit: NIAID/NIH/SPL
News This Week
New study shows risk factors for dementia – virus causes deposits in the brain
Research into the causes of Alzheimer's is not yet complete. Now a new study shows that head trauma can activate herpes viruses and promote the disease. Frankfurt am Main – As a neurodegenerative disease, [...]
Are Machines Truly Thinking? Modern AI Systems Have Finally Achieved Turing’s Vision
Modern AI systems have fulfilled Turing’s vision of machines that learn and converse like humans, but challenges remain. A new paper highlights concerns about energy consumption and societal inequality while calling for more robust [...]
The Surprising Link Between Smell, Sound, and Emotions
New research reveals how smell and hearing interact in the brain to drive social behavior, using mouse maternal instincts as a model. Imagine you’re at a dinner party, but you can’t smell the food [...]
Brain cells age at different rates
As our body ages, not only joints, bones and muscles wear out, but also our nervous system. Nerve cells die, are no longer fully replaced, and the brain shrinks. "Aging is the most important risk factor [...]
Long COVID Breakthrough: Spike Proteins Persist in Brain for Years
Researchers have discovered that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein persists in the brain and skull bone marrow for years after infection, potentially leading to chronic inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers from Helmholtz Munich and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) have [...]
Water-Resistant Paper Could Revolutionize Packaging and Replace Plastic
A groundbreaking study showcases the creation of sustainable hydrophobic paper, enhanced by cellulose nanofibres and peptides, presenting a biodegradable alternative to petroleum-based materials, with potential uses in packaging and biomedical devices. Researchers aimed to [...]
NIH Scientists Discover Game-Changing Antibodies Against Malaria
Novel antibodies have the potential to pave the way for the next generation of malaria interventions. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have identified a novel class of antibodies that target a previously unexplored region [...]
Surprising Discovery: What If Some Cancer Genes Are Actually Protecting You?
A surprising discovery reveals that a gene previously thought to accelerate esophageal cancer actually helps protect against it initially. This pivotal study could lead to better prediction and prevention strategies tailored to individual genetic [...]
The Cancer Test That Exposes What Conventional Scans Miss
Researchers at UCLA have unveiled startling findings using PSMA-PET imaging that reveal nearly half of patients diagnosed with high-risk prostate cancer might actually have metastases missed by traditional imaging methods. This revelation could profoundly affect future [...]
Pupil size in sleep reveals how memories are processed
Cornell University researchers have found that the pupil is key to understanding how, and when, the brain forms strong, long-lasting memories. By studying mice equipped with brain electrodes and tiny eye-tracking cameras, the researchers [...]
Stanford’s Vaccine Breakthrough Boosts Flu Protection Like Never Before
Stanford Medicine researchers have developed a new method for influenza vaccination that encourages a robust immune response to all four common flu subtypes, potentially increasing the vaccine’s efficacy. In laboratory tests using human tonsil [...]
Water’s Worst Nightmare: The Rise of Superhydrophobic Materials
New materials with near-perfect water repellency offer potential for self-cleaning surfaces in cars and buildings. Scientists from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG) have developed a surface [...]
Japanese dentists test drug to help people with missing teeth regrow new ones
Japanese dentists are testing a groundbreaking drug that could enable people with missing teeth to grow new ones, reducing the need for dentures and implants, AFP recently reported. Katsu Takahashi, head of oral surgery at [...]
An AI system has reached human level on a test for ‘general intelligence’
A new artificial intelligence (AI) model has just achieved human-level results on a test designed to measure "general intelligence." On December 20, OpenAI's o3 system scored 85% on the ARC-AGI benchmark, well above the previous AI best [...]
According to Researchers, Your Breathing Patterns Could Hold the Key to Better Memory
Breathing synchronizes brain waves that support memory consolidation. A new study from Northwestern Medicine reports that, much like a conductor harmonizes various instruments in an orchestra to create a symphony, breathing synchronizes hippocampal brain waves to [...]
The Hidden Culprit Behind Alzheimer’s Revealed: Microglia Under the Microscope
Researchers at the CUNY Graduate Center have made a groundbreaking discovery in Alzheimer’s disease research, identifying a critical link between cellular stress in the brain and disease progression. Their study focuses on microglia, the brain’s immune [...]
