Professor Il-Doo Kim in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) is working on a sophisticated gas sensor that could diagnose diseases by exhaled breath analysis. Professor Kim has led the development of semiconductor metal oxide-based nanofiber sensor arrays, which are optimized for pattern recognition of breath prints (Small, “WO3 Nanofiber-Based Biomarker Detectors Enabled by Protein-Encapsulated Catalyst Self-Assembled on Polystyrene Colloid Templates”).
The sensor is designed to detect specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in a human breath. For instance, acetone, H2S, ammonia, and toluene can be used to evaluate diabetes, halitosis, kidney malfunction, and lung cancer, respectively. Variations in the concentration of the exhaled VOCs may serve as biomarkers for specific diseases to distinguish healthy people from those who are sick.
The sensor technology is compatible with various types of smartphones, wearables and medical devices.This sort of non-invasive diagnosis is not only more pleasant to patients but also more affordable to health facilities and health systems. Also, at some point in the future, it could be performed in one’s home, rather than requiring a trip to the doctor’s office. In that sense, the sensor technology is compatible with various types of smartphones, wearable electronic gadgets, and medical devices. Alternatively, it could also have applications in measuring indoor/outdoor air quality control.
“We believe that there can be many ways to incorporate our technology based on the particular needs of industries, not just in the field of medical devices, such as detecting hazardous chemicals or gases at manufacturing factories.” Professor Kim said.
Professor Kim has filed 157 domestic and international patents, and has also completed 4 technology transfers. Recently, he received Top Excellence Award in the KAIST EEWS Business Plan Contest 2015 (Development of Exhaled Breath Sensor for Diagnosis of Diabetes Based on Analysis of Acetone Concentration in Human Breath, Jan. 2016).