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I just stumbled upon this, a type of laser I have never heard about being used for a pretty awesome purpose. Does the laser they describe actually exist? Is it a laser at all? :thinking:
"Since 1954, troopers have used breathalyzers to determine whether drivers have imbibed--and just how much. Jun Ye, a physicist at the University of Colorado, has transported the concept into an entirely new realm: medical diagnostics. The device he's designed detects thousands of different biological molecules in a single exhalation, creating a snapshot of the breath's contents that could signal the presence of illnesses, from cancer to cystic fibrosis. This split-second diagnosis is powered by a laser called an "optical frequency comb," which emits a wide spectrum of lightwaves that interacts with airborne compounds. "You have this rainbow of light coming out in a regularly spaced comb pattern," Ye says. "When breath molecules fly through the rainbow, they set off resonant frequencies that make the comb look like it has missing teeth." If the resulting pattern shows the presence of carbon monoxide, hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide, for example, the exhaler may be suffering from asthma. "You don't have to wait days for test results," Ye says. "Within a minute, you know what's going on."
Original Article: 10 High-Tech Health Breakthroughs Coming Soon to Your Body - Popular Mechanics
"Since 1954, troopers have used breathalyzers to determine whether drivers have imbibed--and just how much. Jun Ye, a physicist at the University of Colorado, has transported the concept into an entirely new realm: medical diagnostics. The device he's designed detects thousands of different biological molecules in a single exhalation, creating a snapshot of the breath's contents that could signal the presence of illnesses, from cancer to cystic fibrosis. This split-second diagnosis is powered by a laser called an "optical frequency comb," which emits a wide spectrum of lightwaves that interacts with airborne compounds. "You have this rainbow of light coming out in a regularly spaced comb pattern," Ye says. "When breath molecules fly through the rainbow, they set off resonant frequencies that make the comb look like it has missing teeth." If the resulting pattern shows the presence of carbon monoxide, hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide, for example, the exhaler may be suffering from asthma. "You don't have to wait days for test results," Ye says. "Within a minute, you know what's going on."
Original Article: 10 High-Tech Health Breakthroughs Coming Soon to Your Body - Popular Mechanics
