Coronavirus breathalyzer

A coronavirus breathalyzer is a diagnostic medical device enabling the user to determine with 90% or greater accuracy the presence of coronavirus in an exhaled breath. As of the first half of 2020, the idea of a practical coronavirus breathalyzer was concomitantly developed by unrelated research groups in the United States, Finland, Israel, England and Australia.^[1][2]

United States

In June 2020 American researchers at UCLA and Ohio State University received grants to test coronavirus breathalyzer concepts, one of which could produce results in 15 seconds. The testing system would be able to take certain compounds of an individual breath to detect coronavirus.^[3] “The goal in this research is to develop cheap, massively deployable, rapid diagnostic and sentinel systems for detecting respiratory illness and airborne viral threats,” says Prof. Pirouz Kavehpour of UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, whose research team received a one-year, $150,000 research grant from the National Science Foundation.^[4]

Finland

By the end of June 2020, Forum Virium Helsinki, in collaboration with Finnish software firm Deep Sensing Algorithms, funded by the Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council,^[5] announced that testing of their device had begun with a control group in Kazakhstan, with plans to expand to the Netherlands, the United States , South Africa , Brazil and Finland throughout the summer.^[6] The efficacy of the Forum Virium Helsinki / Deep Sensing Algorithms device hinges on its AI component.^[7] "We are engaged in innovative cooperation with corporations to solve the coronavirus crisis, and we will help firms to use the city as a development platform. We are utilizing artificial intelligence and digitalization," said Forum Virium Helsinki CEO Mika Malin.^[8]

Israel

In Israel it is at the photonics lab of Gabby Sarusi, professor at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, that research is underway as of midsummer 2020.^[9] Separately from Sarusi's project, in July, 2020 it was reported that Israeli start-up Nanoscent in cooperation with Sheba Medical Center had devised a breathalyzer that Magen David Adom (MDA) is seeking to incorporate into existing drive-thru testing stations located throughout the country.^[10]

Australia

In Australia, GreyScan CEO Samantha Ollerton and Prof. Michael Breadmore of the University of Tasmania are basing a coronavirus breathalyzer on existing technology that is used around the world to detect explosives.^[11]

References

External links

• American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, "Meet the One-Minute Coronavirus Breath Test", YouTube, May 27, 2020.

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