Mid-infrared optical biopsy: towards the detection of gastric cancer via exhaled breath analysis

Photonic technologies have seen revolutionary developments in the past decades leading from conventional optics to on-chip photonic devices. Mid-infrared (3-15 μm; MIR) sensor technology has nowadays evolved into a state-of-the-art tool for the selective and sensitive quantification of trace analytes in liquid, solid, and gaseous state in a wide variety of sensing scenarios. In this presentation, we will discuss the unique combination of mid-infrared photonics sensors with electronic nose systems for the analysis of biomarker panels in exhaled breath that are indicative of gastric cancer. Within a multi-national initiative, six so-called VOGAS analyzers were deployed around the world for screening patients establishing the utility of this innovative method.