Scientists at the University of Texas at Dallas and UT Southwestern Medical Center have developed a handheld electrochemical breath sensor that can accurately detect lung cancer in seconds.

According to Study Finds, the device functions much like a police breathalyzer—but instead of detecting alcohol, it measures eight specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath. These VOCs serve as potential biomarkers for thoracic cancers, including lung and esophageal cancers.

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Researchers then used artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze the biochemical characteristics of these compounds and determine whether they matched patterns associated with cancer, according to a news release from the University of Texas at Dallas.

“There is a huge amount of data provided by the breath,” said researcher Shalini Prasad, professor and department head of bioengineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at University of Texas at Dallas. “What is important? What is not? All of this information comes from the machine learning algorithm. That’s why the partnership with computer science is critical. How meaningfully you integrate AI into a technology is important.”

In early testing, the handheld device detected cancer in 67 participants with a 90% accuracy rate.

As tumors grow and spread, they create unique chemical signatures that enter the bloodstream and eventually reach the lungs. The new sensor measures these compounds in exhaled breath using a technique called chronoamperometry, which tracks small electrical currents produced when breath chemicals interact with specialized liquids inside the device.

“We built a screening tool that could allow physicians to catch the disease in its early phases, which improves outcomes,” said Prasad. “This technology offers a potentially affordable, quick and noninvasive breath analysis tool for cancer screening.”

Lung cancer remains one of the world’s leading causes of cancer-related deaths, affecting millions each year. The researchers, who published their study in Sensing and Bio-Sensing Research, emphasized that “early detection of lung cancer significantly improves survival rates.”

The new technology could dramatically simplify cancer screening by providing a rapid, noninvasive alternative to blood tests or imaging scans. Prasad said her team plans to continue refining the device and conducting additional clinical trials to confirm its effectiveness.

“Eventually, this technology could be deployable in your primary care provider’s office,” she said. “So just as you go in for an annual physical and give an annual blood draw, you could do a breath test as well. Then the primary care provider could make recommendations to the patient if the indicators are elevated, such as a follow-up referral.”