Current infection detection methods often require invasive procedures like blood tests or swabs, and typically only identify infections after symptoms appear. This reactive approach leads to worse health outcomes and higher treatment costs. There's an opportunity to develop continuous, non-invasive monitoring that could detect infections earlier without disrupting daily life.

How VOC Monitoring Could Work

One approach could involve wearable devices that detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted through skin and breath - a field called volatolomics. These devices might:

• Use specialized sensors to continuously collect VOC data
• Apply machine learning to identify patterns linked to specific infections
• Alert users when markers exceed their baseline levels

The technology could be implemented as a standalone wearable, an add-on for existing smartwatches, or even a smartphone attachment for periodic breath analysis. Early versions might focus on detecting just 1-2 common infections with clear biomarkers, like influenza.

Potential Benefits and Applications

Such a system could help several groups:

• General population: For early detection of common infections
• High-risk individuals: Like immunocompromised patients who need early warnings
• Healthcare systems: By reducing late-stage treatment costs through early intervention

Unlike existing wellness wearables that track general metrics like temperature, this would specifically target infection markers. And compared to one-time lab tests, it would provide continuous monitoring rather than snapshots.

Implementation Considerations

An initial version might start as a smartphone attachment for breath analysis, focusing on a limited set of infections. This simpler approach could help validate the core technology before expanding to more complex continuous monitoring. Key challenges would include ensuring sensor accuracy in real-world conditions and addressing privacy concerns around health data collection.

While VOC-based detection currently has lower accuracy than lab tests, it could serve as an early warning system that prompts users to seek confirmatory testing. The value lies in catching infections earlier than waiting for symptoms, potentially preventing severe illness through timely intervention.