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Nature Reviews Microbiology 2, 161–166 (1 February 2004) | doi:10.1038/nrmicro823

Electronic noses and disease diagnostics

Anthony P.F. Turner & Naresh Magan

Rapid developments in sensor technology have facilitated the production of devices — known as electronic noses — that can detect and discriminate the production profiles of volatile compounds from microbial infections in situ. Such qualitative and semi-quantitative approaches could have a significant role in the early diagnosis and detection of microbial diseases. Using artificial intelligence and web-based knowledge systems, electronic noses might also have a valuable role in monitoring disease epidemiology.