Indian Startup’s Patented Tech Promises Cancer Detection

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Indian deep-tech startup Accubits Invent Pvt Ltd has secured a patent for its revolutionary breath-based VOC sensor, marking a major leap forward in global healthcare innovation. The technology is capable of detecting diseases like cancer, tuberculosis, and metabolic disorders within minutes — positions India at the forefront of non-invasive medical diagnostics.

Accubits Invent’s patented sensor technology, VolTrac, represents a major breakthrough in non-invasive disease screening. The device analyzes Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emitted through human breath and sweat — biological markers that reflect specific metabolic changes in the body. Every disease produces a distinct VOC signature, and VolTrac sensors can identify these molecular patterns in under 90 seconds, achieving a lab verified accuracy rate of 98.5%. They have made the disease screening device using their proprietary sensors.

Founded by Dr. Nidhin Sreekumar, a chemical engineer, Accubits Invent originated from research on how plants communicate through VOCs, later translating this understanding to human biochemistry. Operating from the Bio360 Life Sciences Park in Thiruvananthapuram, the company integrates biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and material science to create robust diagnostic platforms.

“VolTrac works just like a breath analyser — but instead of alcohol, it detects disease” said Dr. Nidhin Sreekumar, Co-founder and Managing Director of Accubits Invent. “By enabling early, non-invasive screening, we can save millions of lives and significantly reduce healthcare costs.”

The scope of VolTrac extends across multiple domains of healthcare:
Early disease screening for conditions such as cancers, diabetes, liver disorders, neurodegenerative disorders and respiratory infections.

Point-of-care screening in rural or low-resource settings where traditional lab infrastructure is unavailable.

Continuous health monitoring for high-risk populations and post-treatment recovery assessment.

Public health surveillance, enabling rapid detection of outbreaks through aggregated VOC pattern analysis.

VolTrac can be deployed in clinics, airports, schools, and telemedicine networks, making advanced screening accessible at scale.

“India has immense potential in deep-tech research. Our mission is to harness technology for the betterment of humanity,” said Dr. Aswathy, Co-founder and expert in microbiology and formulation science.

The story of Invent begins with a spark of curiosity inspired by Google’s 2019 April Fool’s “Google Tulip” video, which humorously suggested that plants could communicate. Instead of laughing, the team at Accubits Invent wondered if this could be made real — and began developing sensors to detect the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that plants emit when under stress. Overcoming the limits of existing technology, they created an ultra-sensitive chemi-resistive sensor capable of detecting VOCs at parts-per-trillion levels, a breakthrough that led to a 2024 patent. This innovation evolved from monitoring plant health to revolutionizing human diagnostics and environmental safety.

Accubits Invent has also developed DeTecX, a rapid air-quality and hygiene monitoring system tailored for hospitals and high-traffic public spaces. DeTecX detects airborne pathogens and microbial contamination within 15 seconds, issuing real-time color-coded alerts—green for safe, yellow for caution, and red for high contamination risk. This technology is designed to tackle Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAIs), which affect millions globally and often go underreported.

“Our goal is to make healthcare environments safer,” said Karthik Chandran, Head of Operations. “DeTecX continuously monitors air quality and hygiene to prevent infections before they spread.”

The scope of DeTecX also extends across multiple domains:
Agriculture & Precision Farming- DeTecX enables early detection of plant stress, pest or disease onset, and real-time assessment of ripening, perishability, and freshness to enhance crop management and post-harvest quality.

Industrial & Transportation Applications- DeTecX also enables vehicle cabin air-hygiene monitoring, industrial emissions tracking, and process safety assurance, with IoT connectivity for centralized monitoring, predictive maintenance, and regulatory compliance.

Both VolTrac and DeTecX contribute to a broader vision of preventive, data-driven, and accessible healthcare. The devices offer:

Cost reduction: Eliminating expensive laboratory procedures and enabling faster turnaround.

Early intervention: Identifying diseases in asymptomatic or early stages, significantly improving outcomes.

Epidemiological value: Creating VOC-based datasets that can inform national disease surveillance and AI-driven predictive health models.

Sustainability: Minimizing biomedical waste through non-invasive screening.

With its patent granted in 2024, Accubits Invent is now preparing for clinical trials and regulatory certification, targeting commercial rollout shortly. Both products are being developed to be affordably priced and scalable, ensuring deployment across hospitals, schools, community health centers, and rural outreach programs.

With sufficient data points and unique sensor arrays, an universal olfactory system could be made, which could potentially become a physical AI system, capable of predicting any potential health issues even before any symptoms arise. This is our long term vision at Invent.

“We’re proud to see an Indian innovation poised to transform global health diagnostics, This is Make in India — for the world” added Dr. Nidhin.