PATHACOV
- Start of the project : 01-10-18
- End of project : 30-09-22
The aim of this project is to create a tool (sensor system) for the early diagnosis of human pathologies (bronchopulmonary cancer) by analysing volatile organic compounds in exhaled air.
The main difficulty is to be able to detect several types of volatile organic compounds (biomarkers) at low concentrations in a complex environment with very high humidity levels. This is why the consortium is moving towards the realisation of a network of cross-reactive sensors for each type of biomarkers. This sensor network will take the form of a matrix of around a hundred sensors (based on metal oxides, conductive polymers or hybrids). It will comprise 10 sub-matrices with sensors specifically formulated to detect each biomarker. Printed electronics technologies will be used to produce the matrix. Electronics will be specifically developed for signal processing and information management as well as learning and recognition algorithms to obtain a diagnosis with a confidence index of over 90%. Tests with simulated breath (healthy and with biomarkers) will take place in the laboratory and then in hospital for validation.
Objectives and missions of Materia Nova
Within the consortium, Materia Nova works mainly on the development and testing of sensitive layers for VOC detection.