Nanoparticles are particles between 1 and 100 nanometers consisting of
organic and inorganic molecules as well as various ions. They are great
scientific interest because their bridging between bulk materials and molecular
structures. The intensity of the scientific research on nanoparticles is high
because of its potential benefits in medicine, physics, optics, and
electronics. This includes nanotechnology involved with analyzing the particles
themselves. According to CNN writer, Susan Scutti, scientists from the
Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have developed the pinnacle for
experimental nanotechnology.Apparently, scientists have developed a unique new
piece of technology called the Na-Nose. It “smells” to analyze breath and
identify the chemical components that make up that person’s breath. It has the
potential to diagnose “up to 17” different diseases with 86% accuracy including
Parkinson’s disease, various cancers, kidney failure, multiple sclerosis (damage
to nerve cells in brain and spine from insulation), and Crohn’s disease. Hossam
Haick, the lead researcher, compared this non-invasive method to current
invasive technologies stating that it is more accurate with certain diseases. Why
aren’t Na-Noses being dispersed everywhere?
The article states that seven companies have already licensed with the
product in hopes of launching a commercial product. Mass production of Na-Noses
in combination with innovations for constant health monitoring would be revolutionary
in the medical field. With the need for additional testing and regulations to
meet, the devices will not be seeing the market for a few years. However, that is
not the only reason why this nanotechnology has not seen much light in such a
heavily researched field.There is a large amount of doubt about the technology
and how accurate tests were performed. George Preti, a researcher at Monell
Chemical Senses Center, states that depending on environmental conditions, it
can be very difficult to separate the chemical compounds in the environment from
the those in the breath, considering that the amounts detected in room air is
similar to that of human breath. A considerable argument is that there are
simply too many factors to consider such as age, gender, ethnicity, body mass
index, or previous meals or hygiene. The Na-Nose is just a normal instrument
that can shows its inaccuracies.
So finally, what is the underlying science behind this miraculous invention? The theory is that
each human and disease have their own unique chemical signature. First the
technology needs to be calibrated to what healthy human breath is. It can then
determine the impact the disease leaves on the nanoparticles in your breath. Susan
Scutti reports that the big secret behind the Na-nose are “nanorays” used to analyze nanoparticles; nanorays do not exist. This was disappointing to
find so using additional sources I was able to get a better understanding.
Nanoparticles are commonly analyzed by dynamic light scattering(. That being
said, the credibility of the article is hurt. The article is interesting to
view how media and chemistry blend together. There are a lot of benefits could
come out of this nanotechnology however there is a lot of doubt. The doubt here
seems to outweigh the accuracy. This article claims that it is 86% accurate,
and can sense up to 17 different diseases except it uses incorrect terms which
only contribute to the doubt. There is strong reasoning and great benefit for
breath-related research, however there is much to be discovered still.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/07/health/na-nose-disease-smell-technology/index.html
http://www.horiba.com/scientific/products/particle-characterization/technology/dynamic-light-scattering/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanoparticle
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