The electrochemical biosensor identifies eight volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are potential biomarkers for thoracic cancers, which include lung and esophageal cancers. AI then analyzes the biochemical characteristics of the compounds to determine whether they are a match to those linked to various thoracic cancers.

“We built a screening tool that could allow physicians to catch the disease in its early phases, which improves outcomes,” said Dr. Shalini Prasad, professor and department head of bioengineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. “This technology offers a potentially affordable, quick and noninvasive breath analysis tool for cancer screening.”

The project is a collaboration between UT Dallas bioengineering and computer science researchers and a clinical research team from UT Southwestern Medical Center. The researchers described the technology in the August issue of Sensing and Bio-Sensing Research.