Researchers at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology have developed a new way of diagnosing tuberculosis cases, according to a statement.The novel method can diagnose the disease by means of a sticker patch that catches compounds released by the skin, using artificial intelligence to analyze them - resulting in a quick, non-invasive diagnosis.Their findings were published in the medical journal Advanced Science.The WHO's annual TB report found that tuberculosis killed some 1.4 million people in 2019, not much less than the 1.5 million deaths it caused in 2018. The report warned that many countries are not on track to meet targets for successfully diagnosing and treating cases to stop the disease's spread amid the coronavirus pandemic.Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the WHO's report said, many countries had been making steady progress against TB, with a 9% reduction in incidence seen between 2015 and 2019 and a 14% drop in deaths during the same period."Early What makes matters worse is that currently existing diagnosis methods are slow, and at times too expensive or complex for resource-limited settings," Technion explained. "For example, a sputum smear ($2.60 to $10.50 per examination) is too expensive in a location where people live on $1/day, while a mycobacterial culture test takes 4–8 weeks and at least three visits by the patient to finalize the diagnosis and begin treatment." "none";}The device, termed an A-patch, is already in its clinical trial period and is a sought-after diagnostic tool.