An electronic nose has been found to accurately detect Barrett’s oesophagus, by analysing a patient’s breath, Dutch researchers say. 

According to a proof-of-concept study in Gut, 402 adults who were scheduled to have an endoscopy instead were asked to breathe into a highly sensitive “electronic nose” for five minutes.

The machine then measured the volatile organic compounds that can be detected in breath and indicate abnormal cell activity.

The results showed that 129 of the patients had Barrett’s oesophagus, while 141 had acid reflux and another 132 had a normal oesophagus.