Foul breath?

History may repeat itself, but the tools of the times tend to change: Scientific American recently published an article about electronic noses that can "sniff out" disease, just like medical practitioners of old! Using a state-of-the-art nose, doctors can identify lung cancer, pneumonia, urine infections and more...

From the article in Scientific American:

Though the technology [electronic nose] was originally designed for other tasks, such as sniffing out chemical leaks or detecting food spoilage, research is increasingly revealing its diagnostic potential. Physicians can effectively identify potential lung cancer patients, for instance, by "smelling" their breath.

Wow! What does the e-nose look like? Some images, thanks to the internet:


(from ABC.net.au)


(from the Electronic Nose Project)


(the ARTINOS)