Coming soon: A "breathalyzer" to detect disease?

For Dr. Andrew Koehl, the inventor of the microchip spectrometer technology at the heart of this “digital nose”, the technology that will allow us to do just that is already here.

“We can detect down to parts per billion levels,” Koehl says. “To give you an analogy that’s equivalent to one drop in an Olympic size swimming pool.”

The sensor, which is no bigger than a dime, works by creating a spectrum of what chemicals are in the air. It then identifies each chemical’s unique make-up. If the sensor is set and calibrated to a certain level, it will trigger an alarm.

Work continues to shrink it even further in a bid to enter the healthcare market. Within several years, the company hopes to develop it as a diagnostic tool.