DUINew Diabetes Test Potential
Starkville, MS-Two Mississippi State University (MSU) scientists have developed a Breathalyzer-like device that measures symptoms of diabetes in a person's breath.
From just one breath, this highly sophisticated sensory device instantly determines a person's status: completely diabetes-free, or in the primary or more advanced stages of the disease.
John Plodinec and Chuji Wang have applied for a patent with their prototype and are currently seeking to pair with a commercial entity to release the device in hospitals and clinics.
Wang, a physicist and native of China, imagines that this instrument could be installed in public places, even a shopping mall. His partner Plodinec told the University Relations Department of MSU that the device could be utilized in revealing poor treatment of diabetes, or it could serve to provide information for other diseases.
It is speculated that of the 17 million Americans suffering of diabetes, 6 million have not been diagnosed. Obesity is the top cause of the development of diabetes, and Mississippi ranks in the top ten states for obesity and diabetes, according to state and federal statistics.
The Breathalyzer measures the acetone in a breath in order to determine a person's status with diabetes. The new, highly sensitive technology of Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy makes it possible to detect the concentration levels of the acetone, which are higher in diabetes sufferers.
June 10, 2004
Also See:
In the News
