Remarkable ‘electronic nose’ could sniff out nerve gas and rotten foods simultaneously (2024)

FAQs

What is the electronic nose technology? ›

Bio-electronic noses use olfactory receptors – proteins cloned from biological organisms, e.g. humans, that bind to specific odor molecules. One group has developed a bio-electronic nose that mimics the signaling systems used by the human nose to perceive odors at a very high sensitivity: femtomolar concentrations.

When you smell an odor, you're actually breathing in tiny molecules. These molecules stimulate specialized nerve cells, called olfactory sensory neurons, high inside the nose. There are a few million of these cells inside your nose.

For example, the nitroglycerin fumes in dynamite can smell like banana, while food infected with salmonella bacteria can release hydrogen sulfide gas that smells like rotten eggs.

Since the first report of an electronic nose based on chemical sensors and pattern recognition in 1982 [1], the instruments have experienced a significant development; they have been studied by several research groups over the world for a number of diverse possible applications in different sectors.

An electronic nose is such an instrument which consists of mechanism for identification of chemical detection such as an array of electronic sensors and a mechanism of pattern recognition.

For odor measurement in smoking rooms and lavatories, detecting smell of medicines and foods, detecting odor from production process. For odor measurement in manufacturing and processing plants, detecting pet smell, measuring kitchen garbage and excrement odor.

Sinusitis, mouth infections, and certain foods, drinks, and lifestyle habits are usually behind bad smells in the nose. People can usually get rid of bad smells in the nose by using home remedies, trying OTC medications, and making lifestyle changes.

Your olfactory nerve is the first cranial nerve (CN I). This nerve enables your olfactory system and sense of smell. Cranial nerve 1 is the shortest sensory nerve. It starts in your brain and ends in the upper, inside part of your nose.

The taste buds of the tongue identify taste, and the nerves in the nose identify smell. Both sensations are communicated to the brain, which integrates the information so that flavors can be recognized and appreciated. Some tastes—such as salty, bitter, sweet, and sour—can be recognized without the sense of smell.

The term 'nitrogen oxides' (NOx) is usually used to include two gases-nitric oxide (NO), which is a colourless, odourless gas and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which is a reddish-brown gas with a pungent odour.

What does glycerin smell like? ›

Vegetable glycerin, also known as glycerol or glycerine, is a clear liquid typically made from soybean, coconut or palm oils. It is odorless and has a mild, sweet taste with a syrup-like consistency. Vegetable glycerin is particularly popular in the cosmetic industry but has several other uses as well.

Baur recognized this new TNT smell as being similar to that of musk, showing that the scent could be easily and cheaply produced on a large scale. These nitro musks are still used today and are often used as the basis for many perfumes.

Your ability to smell comes from specialized sensory cells, called olfactory sensory neurons, which are found in a small patch of tissue high inside the nose. These cells connect directly to the brain. Each olfactory neuron has one odor receptor.

Raw sensor signals from the electronic nose.

The Positive Predicted Value (PPV) was 83.0% (CI 95%: 67.4–92.3%) with a Negative Predictive Value (NPV) of 11.4% (CI 95%: 3.7–27.7%).

An electronic nose is a device composed of an array of odour sensors with sensitivity to a wide range of chemical compounds. Reliable electronic nose systems rely on advanced data processing techniques. Among them, machine learning has become a core technique for electronic nose design.

❖ E-noses have a series of sensors that correspond to components of an odor and analyzes its chemical makeup to identify it. ❖ They are much more sensitive than human noses as they have a greater number of receptor sensors with higher sensitivity.

In the military, an electronic nose can be used to detect toxic chemicals and smoke compounds [50], determine indoor air quality [51–54], control automotive ventilation [55, 56], and measure water quality of an emergency water source (specific examples of detection of water quality: residues of cyanobacteria [57] and ...

Electronic nose is an analytical tool composed of an array of sensors (e.g. metal oxide, polymer) responding to volatile compounds with changes in their electrical properties. The combined pattern of these changes from all the sensors forms a fingerprint for the sample.