The Israeli researchers created a color-changing patch designed to be attached to the skin. Simply, if the patch turns red, the person is infected. If it turns green, they are not.
The new polymeric patch developed at the Technion works by detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air, trapped above the skin’s surface. These VOCs, associated with Tuberculosis infections, are analyzed by the patch.
If the VOCs, along with the person's smell, match with the profile of someone infected with Tuberculosis, the infection can be easily found in the body.
The incredible discovery made by the Technion's scientists represents a considerable improvement on current methods of detecting Tuberculosis.
Previously, samples were sent off to laboratories to be analyzed by specialists. This is not only a significantly longer process than the patch method developed at the Technion, but also impractical for citizens of developing countries, as most do not have regular access to facilities capable of analyzing these samples.
The patch method, already tested on 1,000 people in South Africa, India and Latvia, is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Expectations for the new method are high, with the Technion team hoping the patches will get on the market within a few years.
“A fast, simple and cheap test for Tuberculosis is nothing to be sniffed at," said Technion UK CEO Alan Aziz. "If successful, current methods for identifying this deadly disease won’t be a patch on this patch," he added.
Tuberculosis, caused by bacterial infections, is extremely dangerous if left untreated and causes nearly a million and a half deaths worldwide every year, according to the Technion. In the majority of cases, however, Tuberculosis is not harmful, as the disease becomes active in only 5-10% of cases.