We are proud to announce the SniffPhone project has been awarded the 2018 Innovation Award by the European Commission for Most Innovative Project. This is a great honor rewarding the excellent work that has been done in this project.
SniffPhone is a compact handheld device that measures exhaled breath for early diagnosis of cancer.
This is how it works: The user holds the device in front of his or her mouth, and exhales onto the SniffPhone. The device then takes a sample of the exhaled breath and measures the contained Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) using highly sensitive nanotechnology-based chemical sensors. The measurements are sent via Bluetooth using a smartphone to a dedicated cloud platform, where they are analyzed by the appropriate medical personnel.
With this method of diagnosis, SniffPhone has an unparalleled advantage over traditional screening methods: the device is comfortable and painless to use and provides a simple and cost-effective alternative for medical professionals.
The SniffPhone project is financed under the EU’s Horizon 2020 Programme for research, technological development and demonstration. The SniffPhone was developed by a consortium of nine partners from six countries. The nanosensors of the SniffPhone were developed in Israel, the micropump in Ireland, fluidics in Germany, and the cloud platform in Finland. The clinical studies were carried out in Latvia, with further testing and technical experimentation done in Austria. Siemens has taken part in the testing and validation phase of the SniffPhone project, and Siemens Healthineers has conducted usability studies.
SniffPhone prototype has been engineered by JLM Innovation, who provides system integration; this includes electronics and mechanical design to integrate the various components into one smart handheld device.
Additionally, the device software as well as mobile applications and algorithms for the measurement system were also developed here.
JLM Innovation is a technology company originating in Tübingen, Germany. Comprising only 7 employees, JLM Innovation carries out the entire development process for complex sensor systems, from the design and testing of electronics to the assembly of the final finished device. Located in the Tübingen Technology Center, JLM Innovation provides hardware and software solutions for data acquisition as well as data analysis. The SME company is specialized in system integration for chemical sensing and is considered a renowned international expert for smart chemical sensing.
SniffPhone is one from two EU projects in which JLM Innovation is a current partner. Two additional EU research projects will start at the beginning of next year.
The 2018 Innovation Award was granted on the 21st of November in Lisbon, at the European Forum for Electronic Components and System (EFECS). SniffPhone was chosen from many highly qualified projects as the most innovative concept in Horizon 2020. Project Coordinator Prof. Hossam Haick from the Technion Institute of Technology in Israel and Dr. Jan Mitrovics, CEO of JLM Innovation GmbH received the award at the official ceremony.
Presently, the prototypes of the SniffPhone device have been distributed between the medical project partners to carry out further clinical testing. As a next step in the SniffPhone project, investors are being sought out to bring the promising research project to the market through a spin-off company.
The potential of this technology platform could revolutionize cancer screening for patients all over the world.