Quick Take | A breath away

Indian researchers might just revolutionise disease detection with their latest breakthrough

Lung cancer accounts for one of the most cases among cancer-related deaths in India (Photo | Flickr/Creative Commons)

Indian researchers are turning a simple breath into an early diagnostic tool. In a 2026 trial at IIT Kharagpur, engineers have built an AI-powered handheld analyser that reads volatile organic compounds in exhaled air. Within seconds, the device flags markers linked to diabetes, kidney or liver disease. Patients breathe into a small sensor that converts gas traces, such as acetone or ammonia, into diagnostic signals. A parallel effort in Kerala by the startup Accubits is testing VolTrac, a breath scanner that uses AI algorithms to detect tuberculosis, lung cancer and metabolic disorders with over 90 percent accuracy in 90 seconds. Such low-cost non-invasive diagnostics point to a shift—indigenised science serving mass health initiatives.