Laser-Based Swab Analysis Shows Promise for Detecting Disease-Linked Odor Patterns

Current analytical methods can be complex, time-consuming, and dependent on specialized personnel, limiting their use for rapid onsite screening. To simplify this type of analysis, new findings demonstrate a laser-based approach that detects disease-associated odor signatures from simple swab samples.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS (Erlangen, Germany) and the Technical University of Dresden tested laser-based photoacoustic spectroscopy for detecting volatile organic compound patterns linked to disease. The measurement system developed at Fraunhofer IIS uses widely tunable quantum cascade lasers and a sensitive photoacoustic detector. The system generates characteristic spectral fingerprints of volatile organic compounds from swab samples taken from the anterior nasal cavity, navel, and outer ear, with nasal swabs described as particularly promising.

The proof-of-concept study was conducted under controlled laboratory conditions using participants randomly selected from the large-scale SMELLODI study. The cohort included 24 participants: six healthy controls, six people with Parkinson’s disease, six people with COVID-19, and six people with other conditions. Additional measurements taken two weeks later from three participants with Parkinson’s disease provided initial evidence that the results were stable over time. Statistical analysis also showed that the measurement scope could be significantly reduced without losing relevant information.

The study found differences between samples from healthy individuals and samples from people with Parkinson’s disease, COVID-19, and other diseases. The results were published in Scientific Reports under the title “Detection of disease-associated VOC signatures with laser-based photoacoustic spectroscopy (LPAS).”

Fraunhofer IIS developed the experimental setup, performed laboratory measurements, and conducted statistical analysis, while the Technical University of Dresden contributed medical and clinical expertise and coordinated recruitment, diagnosis, and sample collection. The approach is not yet a substitute for medical diagnosis, and larger studies involving more diverse participants under real-world conditions are needed before clinical use.

Related Links
Fraunhofer IIS
Technical University of Dresden