China's E-Nose: World's First Artificial Nose To Find Parkinson's Disease Early

A new study claims to have created an "e-nose" that helps with diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. The debilitating condition that affects over 10 million people worldwide restricts patient's movements and causes dementia-like symptoms.

The best way to treat Parkinson's is through early detection and diagnosis. Researchers from China's Zhejiang University have created a portable device ("e-nose") that smells odours specific to Parkinson's patients using a technique called gas chromatography. This technique separates chemicals as they vaporise.

Clubbing this technique with a surface acoustic wave sensor, scientists may have made a breakthrough in early detection of Parkinson's. This sensor measures gas based on their interaction with sound waves.

iStock

What smells different about Parkinson's?

People with Parkinson's secrete more sebum than the rest of us. It's an oily and waxy substance produced by sebaceous glands. When it mixes with other substances, it creates unique smells.

Zhejiang University

Using samples from 31 Parksinson's patients and 32 healthy volunteers, scientists learned that their mechanism is 71% accurate in distinguishing healthy sebum from Parkinson's sebum. When each Parkinson's patient's full odour analysis, the figure went up to 79%.

Also read:?Mumbai Startup Develops Universal Disease Test For All Infections, First Of Its Kind

A 2016 estimate suggests that over 0.58 million people in India live with Parkinson's disease. While this "e-nose" may not be available commercially anytime soon, it may help in early detection and diagnosis of Parkinson's, making its management easier for those affected.

Unsplash

Researchers aim to account for differences owing to different factors like race in odours produced by Parkinson's.?What do you think about this artificial nose to detect Parkinson's disease? Let us know in the comments below.??

Also read:?New AI System Can Detect Heart Disease Risk Using Patient's Eye Scans: Here's How

For more in the world of?technology?and?science, keep reading?Indiatimes.com.??

References?

Fu, W., Xu, L., Yu, Q., Fang, J., Zhao, G., Li, Y., Pan, C., Dong, H., Wang, D., Ren, H., Guo, Y., Liu, Q., Liu, J., & Chen, X. (2022). Artificial Intelligent Olfactory System for the Diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease. ACS Omega, 7(5), 4001–4010.?

Fauzia, M. (2022, February 24). Artificial Nose Could Diagnose Parkinson’s Through Skin Odors. The Daily Beast.?