By IANS
Washington : A laser-based breath-analyser is not just a high-tech way to detect alcohol on your breath – it can help identify debilitating diseases like asthma or cancer, says a new study.
The study, by researchers at the University of Colorado (CU) at Boulder is the latest in a line that more fully exploits the potential of optics in detection of diseases.
Findings of the study have been published in the latest issue of the journal Optics Express.
The study found a laser analysis of the breath could pinpoint the rarest of molecules that may be markers of specific diseases, said Jun Ye, who headed the research team.
Ye’s colleagues and 2005 Nobel laureates in physics John L. Hall and Theodor W.Hänsch – who shared the prize with Roy J. Glauber – developed the laser breath analysis technique in the 1990s.
While the efficacy of this technique is yet to be evaluated clinically, breath analysis is the ultimate non-invasive and low-cost procedure.
For instance, bad breath may indicate dental problems while excess methylamine may indicate liver and kidney disease. The presence of ammonia may be a sign of renal failure.
Similarly, elevated acetone levels in the breath can indicate diabetes, and nitric oxide levels can be used to diagnose asthma.