NDIR Optical E-Nose for Contactless Diabetes Monitoring and Diagnosis: An integrated HW-AI Framework

Non-invasive and widely accessible methods for Diabetes Mellitus (DM) screening and monitoring are crucial to address the limitations of conventional blood-based assays. Exhaled breath (EB) analysis provides a contactless, real-time alternative by detecting disease-associated changes in Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). This PhD research work introduces a compact Non-dispersive Infrared (NDIR)-based optical Electronic Nose (E-nose) for rapid VOCs detection. Preliminary laboratory tests using a general-purpose IR sensor and a MEMS IR emitter showed feasibility for detecting low VOCs concentrations. Expanding the system with nonspecific near-/mid-IR, MOS, and ambient sensors could further enhance performance, enabling AI-driven multi-modal strategies for DM-oriented breath analysis.