Abstract:

Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) remains a major global public health challenge, and timely diagnosis is critical for effective epidemic control and transmission reduction. Conventional diagnostic methods, such as sputum culture, are time-consuming and require specialized laboratory facilities, limiting their accessibility in primary care and resource-limited settings. In recent years, electronic nose (eNose) technology has gained increasing attention as a promising tool for the rapid diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis, due to its non-invasiveness, speed, and high sensitivity. Emerging evidence suggests that eNose technology can rapidly identify active pulmonary tuberculosis by analyzing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath. However, its clinical translation remains limited by several challenges, including the lack of standardized instrumentation, variability in data interpretation, and insufficient integration into routine diagnostic workflows. The author provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of eNose applications in tuberculosis diagnosis, elucidating its underlying mechanisms, diagnostic advantages, and existing barriers, and discusses future directions to improve early case detection and advance innovative diagnostic strategies for tuberculosis control.

Key words: Electronic nose, Tuberculosis, pulmonary, Diagnostic techniques, respiratory system