Future Trends in Semiconducting Gas-Selective Sensing Probes for Skin Diagnostics

Abstract

This paper presents sensor nanotechnologies that can be used for the skin-based gas “smelling” of disease. Skin testing may provide rapid and reliable results, using specific “fingerprints” or unique patterns for a variety of diseases and conditions. These can include metabolic diseases, such as diabetes and cholesterol-induced heart disease; neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s; quality of life conditions, such as obesity and sleep apnea; pulmonary diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; gastrointestinal tract diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome and colitis; cancers, such as breast, lung, pancreatic, and colon cancers; infectious diseases, such as the flu and COVID-19; as well as diseases commonly found in ICU patients, such as urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and infections of the blood stream. Focusing on the most common gaseous biomarkers in breath and skin, which is nitric oxide and carbon monoxide, and certain abundant volatile organic compounds (acetone, isoprene, ammonia, alcohols, sulfides), it is argued here that effective discrimination between the diseases mentioned above is possible, by capturing the relative sensor output signals from the detection of each of these biomarkers and identifying the distinct breath print for each disease.