How does it change things?

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that tuberculosis (TB) affects approximately 10 million people each year and causes 1.5 million deaths, ranking it as the deadliest infectious disease worldwide. Despite being preventable and treatable, TB screening in these regions has historically been hampered by limited access, high costs, and slow results. 

On the other hand, traditional diagnostic tools are not only more invasive but also tend to be costly and involve long wait times due to specialised equipment and heavy demand. This has exacerbated the healthcare accessibility gap, particularly in underserved and rural areas. Noze is committed to changing these issues. 

Founded by Dr. Ashok Masilamani in 2014, the Canadian startup offers the world’s most advanced diagnostic breathalyser called DiagNoze. It is fully integrated, cost-effective, and delivers results in real-time from any point of care. It is capable of detecting and identifying odours in real-world settings with unparalleled accuracy. However, DiagNoze is designed to transcend geographical and economic boundaries, enabling earlier diagnosis, timely treatment, and improved health outcomes.

Leveraging cutting-edge machine intelligence and a sensor developed with exclusively licensed NASA technology, Noze is committed to enhancing human health and wellbeing. Its mission is to improve patient outcomes by enabling real-time disease detection at any point-of-care by using their technology to target breath-based odor biomarkers.

“Our handheld diagnostic breathalyzer, DiagNoze, uses the world’s leading and only digital odor perception technology to detect disease biomarkers in the breath,” explained Aly. “This device will allow for real-time detection of serious illnesses such as cancers and infectious diseases, along with other clinical conditions, without requiring blood draws, lab equipment, or visits to healthcare facilities. DiagNoze is a low-cost, completely noninvasive, and fully portable device that can be used in any point-of-care, even a patient’s home.”