Frequency Comb Spectroscopy Detects Disease via Breath Analysis

This article describes a new technique that could prove extremely sueful in teh diagnosis of disease in the future. Cavity-enhanced direct optical frequency comb spectroscopy, is an exciting new area of research that could lead to earlier and more accurate diagnosis of diseases such as asthma, cancer, and diabetes. Scientists from Colorado have engineered this new and potentially powerful method that uses a laser to identify different biomarkers in a person's breath. Cavity-enhanced direct optical frequency comb spectroscopy works by first having a patient breath into an optical cavity. A laser inside the cavity is then transmitted and bounces all around the cavity, covering up to several kilometers, and coming into contact with essentially every molecule in the cavity. The light then leaves the cavity and is analyzed by the scientists. The scientists determine the differences between the frequencies going into the cavity and coming out. These differences enable them to identify different biomarkers in the breath releated to many types of diseases and make an accurate diagnosis. This method could prove to be extremely useful in the futre as an effective, low cost, non invasive mode of diagnosis.

http://www.laserfocusworld.com/display_article/320579/12/none/none/TECHN/Frequency-comb-spectroscopy-detects-disease-via-breath-analysi