The breathalyzer is commonplace when it comes to checking for intoxication, so a new breath collecting device is being created by researchers to help with diagnosing COVID-19. The device works by detecting for biological information called biomarkers when a person exhales including DNA, RNA, lipids or proteins, which could denote if a disease is in the lungs. The device is believed to be a better way of detecting for disease when compared to oral, nasal or lung swabs because it collects air that has been circulated throughout the entirety of the lungs.
The breath collecting device is being developed by scientists at the Northumbria University, Newcastle led by associate professor Dr. Sterghios Moschos.
Image Credit: Northumbria University, Newcastle
What's Driving This Trend
- Disease-detecting Breathalyzers
- The creation of a breathalyzing device to detect COVID-19 presents an opportunity for innovative diagnostic technology.
- Biomarker Detection
- Developing technology that can detect biomarkers in exhaled breath presents an opportunity for a new field of diagnostic testing.
- Non-invasive Diagnostics
- The development of a breathalyzer diagnostic device presents an opportunity for more non-invasive and comfortable medical testing methods.
Who This Affects Most
- Medical Diagnostics
- The medical diagnostics industry could benefit from incorporating non-invasive breathalyzer testing alongside traditional methods.
- Pharmaceuticals
- Pharmaceutical companies could explore developing drugs and therapies that directly target biomarkers detected in a patient's breath.
- Research and Development
- The breathalyzer diagnostic device presents an opportunity for research and development in new diagnostic technologies and testing methods.
