Market Trends of Electronic Nose (E-Nose) Industry
Healthcare Sector to be the Fastest Growing End-user Vertical
- Digital scent technology in e-noses has shown massive potential in the healthcare sector. Healthcare is regarded as one of the end-user verticals where research activity is highly active. For instance, e-noses are being tested to detect diseases by sensing blood glucose levels in patients' breath.
- Scientists/researchers have also been exploring ways to detect signs of cancer by analyzing patients' breaths. Diagnosing cancer, which usually involves various imaging techniques and tissue examination, can be replaced with e-nose technology, which detects the signs of cancer just by analyzing breath. This way, hospitals and diagnostic centers may not incur considerable investment in imaging technology. In addition, the e-nose method is a safer and less invasive method for cancer detection.
- In August 2024, researchers from multiple institutions conducted a Phase II clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of electronic-nose (E-nose) technology in diagnosing early-stage lung cancer in real-world scenarios. Their findings reveal that the E-nose technology boasts impressive sensitivity and specificity, positioning it as a viable alternative to invasive biopsies for thoracic malignancies. The study involved 100 participants, aged between 21 and 85, all referred to the hospital with a lung nodule. The results showed that the E-nose's diagnoses aligned with histopathologic results in 86% of the cases. This led to an impressive F1 score of 92.5%, derived from 86 true positives, two false negatives, and 12 false positives.
- Research findings indicate that the E-nose could significantly enhance existing lung cancer diagnostic techniques, offering a noninvasive approach that poses no risk to patients. The E-nose consistently identified early-stage lung cancer and demonstrated high accuracy when benchmarked against established imaging methods.
- Rising instances of chronic diseases around the world are also providing a significant boost to market growth. For example, using a device called the electronic nose, doctors and researchers at the AIIMS are trying to identify the signature of lung cancer created by VOCs exhaled. It is expected to help in the early detection of lung cancer in developing countries, like India, where people reach healthcare facilities in the late stages.
- According to the American Hospital Association, the United States is projected to see the number of individuals with chronic medical conditions rise to 164 million by 2030 and further to approximately 171 million by 2050. In addition, according to the American Cancer Society, in 2024, the US is projected to witness 234,580 new cases of lung and bronchus cancer, with Florida anticipated to report the highest number. The data highlights the state-wise distribution of these estimated new cases across the United States in 2024.
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North America Holds Significant Market Share
- North America holds a significant share in the market studied due to factors such as developed infrastructure and the availability of resources, which have enabled the adoption of e-nose technology in applications such as defense, healthcare, and food and beverages, among others.
- In July 2024, the NASA Breath Diagnostics challenge invited experts to create a classification model capable of distinguishing between the breaths of COVID-positive and COVID-negative individuals, utilizing existing data. The overarching aim is to enhance the accuracy of NASA's E-Nose device, positioning it as a viable clinical tool that delivers diagnostic results derived from the molecular makeup of human breath.
- The region is also home to a significant food and beverages industry, which is highly regulated. This is where the e-nose technology finds a prime opportunity for growth. In July 2024, researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in the US developed a new e-nose. This innovative device can swiftly and accurately detect volatile compounds, including the commonly found VOCs.
- Notably, this sensor is the first to integrate both passive and active sensing capabilities, and it employs machine learning to discern a variety of molecules and their combinations. A feature of their design is its biologically inspired sniffing mechanism. The research findings indicate that this new approach significantly enhances the detection capabilities of artificial noses, paving the way for diverse applications such as identifying food spoilage.
- The demand for e-nose technology is high in the food and beverage industry, as it can detect the freshness of food items, such as meat and poultry products. This helps accurately determine the longevity of food items and reduces the amount of food wasted. According to the US Census Bureau, US food and beverage stores recorded an estimated monthly retail sales figure of around USD 90.3 billion in December 2023.
- The red meat and poultry industry has witnessed unprecedented growth. According to the USDA, in 2023, per capita consumption of red meat (beef) in the United States reached 57.6 pounds, and it is expected to reach 113.3 pounds per capita by 2032. The industry must follow strict regulations in handling and processing meat to maintain food hygiene and minimize food recalls, which is expected to create a demand for the e-nose market.
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