“I think the fact that you’re seeing so much activity both in commercial and academic settings shows that we’re getting a lot closer,” said Cristina Davis, a biomedical engineer and professor at the University of California, Davis, who also is helping to develop an odor sensor to diagnose disease.

“My estimate is it’s a three- to five-year time frame” before such tools are available to clinicians, she added.

— The New York Times takes a look at the use of odor sensor technology in the diagnosis of disease. Read more in One Day, a Machine Will Smell Whether You’re Sick.