- The partnership will see Altered Carbon trial a project to harness AI-powered scent detection to identify airborne infections in real-time
- Through this, the project aims to support safer, smarter hospitals by allowing for early intervention and stronger infection control across the NHS and beyond
- The partnership forms part of the NIHR HRC in Sustainable Innovation and Altered Carbon’s commitment to advancing sustainable healthcare innovation
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) HealthTech Research Centre (HRC) in Sustainable Innovation – a research and development hub advancing medical technology solutions, hosted by the Royal Devon University Healthcare Foundation Trust in collaboration with the University of Exeter – has partnered with Altered Carbon, a leading innovator in AI-powered scent detection technology, to announce a pioneering new collaboration aimed at advancing infection diagnostics.
The partnership combines the NIHR HRC in Sustainable Innovation’s expertise in developing and implementing next-generation health technologies with Altered Carbon’s cutting-edge sensor technology. Together, they are focused on developing a real-time infection detection solution that helps prevent the spread of airborne infections in hospitals.
The project utilises advanced sensor technology that mimics the human olfactory system and, combined with AI, continuously monitors air quality around patients to detect early signs of infection. Designed to act as an early warning tool, alerting healthcare teams to signs of infection, the technology enables faster interventions to improve patient safety. It also has the potential to reduce infection-related hospital stays, ease pressure on healthcare services, and strengthen infection control across the NHS and beyond.
The project also supports the NHS’s drive for smarter, more sustainable healthcare through early intervention, improved infection prevention, and the integration of AI-powered diagnostics into everyday care. By moving this technology from research to real-world trials, the partnership is helping to translate scientific innovation into practical healthcare solutions.
Commenting on the partnership, George Hawkins, Director of Strategy and Partnerships at Altered Carbon, said: “Our partnership with the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre reflects a shared belief in the power of collaboration to drive meaningful transformation in healthcare. By uniting clinical insight with a dynamic, next generation approach to sensing, we are expanding what’s possible in real time infection detection. This is more than a research partnership; it’s a convergence of vision and capability, unlocking smarter, faster, and more impactful technology for the healthcare system and the people it serves.”
Professor Timothy McDonald, Diagnostics & Biomarkers Theme Lead for the NIHR HRC in Sustainable Innovation, added: “Our partnership with Altered Carbon reflects our commitment to working with innovators to develop technologies that directly benefit patients and the healthcare system. By combining our expertise with Altered Carbon’s technology, we’re helping to address an important challenge in infection control.”
The partnership is currently in a collaborative R&D and trial phase, and Altered Carbon is currently validating the technology in a controlled environment and preparing for real world trials.
