Gas device could detect lung cancer
A sniffer device used in the search for new reserves of oil and gas could be used as a form of breathalyser to detect early signs of lung cancer, experts said today.
The device, developed by scientists in Dundee and Glasgow, works by detecting minute quantities of ethane gas.
It is being used in clinical trials in the hope of detecting lung cancer in its early stages before other symptoms appear.
The device, which went on show today at the Royal Society summer science exhibition in central London, was developed to measure tiny quantities of ethane which leak naturally from oil and gas reservoirs into the atmosphere.
Glasgow University said its team developed a sensor system that could sniff out ethane in the air at less than one part per billion.
And oil giant Shell has already used the sensor, transported in the back of a four-wheel drive vehicle, to help prospect for new reserves in Oman and elsewhere.
The device works by sucking gas into a chamber where it is measured using an infrared laser, said Glasgow University.
By measuring the light absorbed at a certain wavelength, the instrument can measure how much ethane is in the chamber.
A team from Dundee University spotted the technology’s potential for detecting small amounts of gases given off in a patient’s breath.
And the sensor is being used in clinical trials at Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital to detect early signs of the disease.
“Part of the body’s response to cancerous cells produces elevated levels of free radicals – highly reactive chemicals that break down cell membranes into hydrocarbons including ethane,” said a Glasgow University spokesman.
“Lung cancer often spreads before significant symptoms appear, and there are no alternative techniques for early detection of this disease.”
