According to Reuters, the journal Optics Express reported today that a new laser ananylzer may be able to detect cancer, asthma, and other diseases through samples of a patient's breath. The technique is called cavity-enhanced direct optical frequency comb spectroscopy.

Jun Ye, the leader of the research at the University of Colorado, stated, "This technique can give a broad picture of many different molecules in the breath all at once."

So far, over 1,000 different compounds have been identified in human breath. The laser uses mirrors to bounce the laser's light back and forth until it touches every molecule in the patient's exhaled breath. It can help detect traces of compounds that indicate the presence of various diseases.

For instance, people with asthma may prodcuce too much nitric oxide as compared to individuals without asthma.

For more about asthma, see What is Asthma?