|
A team of Chinese and Israeli
researchers has devised a novel artificial intelligence (AI) breath
analyzer test to detect COVID-19 rapidly, the Israel Institute of
Technology (Technion) said Friday. The
new device was developed by Technion researchers, in collaboration with
the University of Science and Technology of China, the First Affiliated
Hospital of Anhui Medical University and Anhui Provincial Chest
Hospital, all three located in the city of Hefei. The
device meets the need for a non-invasive, rapid, inexpensive testing
method to screen COVID-19 positive individuals, especially
pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic carriers. It
is an intelligent nanotechnology, comprised of a nanomaterial-based
sensor array, which can rapidly detect COVID-19 from specific volatile
organic compounds in exhaled breath. The
device can detect disease-specific biomarkers in exhaled breath with 92
percent accuracy, 100 percent sensitivity and 84 percent specificity,
the Technion said. "This
pre-screening diagnostic system could offer a screening solution that
can be performed at home or point-of-care facilities, greatly reducing
unneeded confirmatory tests and reducing the burden on hospitals," the
Technion noted. The researchers said
that the device could also be used as a screening tool for airports,
shopping centers and other public places where the risk of community
spread is high. According to the
team, the device's AI can be modified and applied to any other
infectious diseases and could be used in case of new disease outbreaks.
| 
Related News
