(PhysOrg.com) -- Testing has begun on a device that can sniff
out the presence of Clostridium difficile disease by smell,
thanks to an award from the Wellcome Trust. The new device -
OdoReader - can diagnose the superbug Clostridium difficile by
'reading' the odour of stool samples. Developed by Professor
Chris Probert from the University of Bristol and Professor
Norman Ratcliffe from the University of the West of England, the
technology enables gasses emitted from faeces to be analysed in
under an hour, leading to a rapid and inexpensive diagnosis.
Such early detection could reap real health benefits for
millions of people and help prevent the spread of infectious
disease. "For a long time it has been known that stools have a
distinctive and different odour if there is an infection," said
Professor Probert. "What OdoReader does is take this 'knowledge'
a step further by comparing the odour of faeces of patients with
those from people with specific gastro-intestinal disease to
make a rapid diagnosis at point