Israeli researchers have developed a computerised optical nose, based on artificial intelligence (AI), to detect diseases, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI) said on Tuesday.

The near-infrared nose was developed by HUJI and Tel Aviv University in a study published in the journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics.

It can detect odours and turn any of them into an image on a computer screen, HUJI added.

The optical nose may be used for detecting diseases transmitted in the air, counterfeit alcoholic beverages, and spoiled or poisoned food.

“Potentially, the system could also be used for rapid detection of COVID-19 patients in a non-invasive manner by analysing exhalations,” the researchers said.

So far, it has detected dozens of odours with high accuracy, even those that the human nose is unable to detect, such as components of alcohol beverages, HUJI concluded.