A hand held olfactory tester includes an elongated housing (12) with an opening at its forward end (30) thereof. An odorant chamber (22) located within the housing moveable axially between a forward (FIG. 4) and a backward position (FIG. 5). A wick (34) extends from the odorant chamber forwardly into a nozzle (32) carried at the forward end of the chamber. A thumb collar (24) located around the outside of the housing allows to move the odor chamber and nozzle forwardly. The forward end of the wick exposed to outside through the opening when moved forward so that vapors from the odorant can be smelled by a patient. O-rings (40, 42) seal the nozzle from the outside when in backward position to prevent vapors from escaping. An elongated spring (28) biases the odorant chamber and nozzle backwardly into its rear sealed position when the thumb collar is released.

An apparatus, module, methods and systems for automated, standardized assessment and analysis of a human olfactory system's odor detection ability as an indicator or predictor of cognitive impairment or change in cognitive health, and other health conditions such as diabetes. Notably, the present invention is operable for use across all age groups of humans and provides quantitative detection and analysis of a human olfactory system's detection ability compared to a relevant demographic population.

The present invention relates to a quality inspection method for polyurethane samples, an electronic nose device and a storage medium. The quality inspection method for a polyurethane sample comprises the following steps: comparing measured spectrum information of a polyurethane sample to be inspected to reference spectrum information of a plurality of inspected polyurethane samples to determine the reference spectrum information with a predetermined confidence interval to which the measured spectrum information conforms, wherein each of the reference spectrum information is associated with property information of corresponding inspected polyurethane samples; and obtaining a quality inspection result of the polyurethane sample to be inspected on the basis of the property information associated with the determined reference spectrum information.

A system includes a container to enclose vehicles within a chamber, an enclosed structure to house a canine to perform odor detection, and an air duct positioned therebetween. The container includes a first door, a second door, and a raised floor. The raised floor includes a first ramp leading to the first door, a second ramp leading to the second door, and sets of vent ducts defined between an outer wall and a top wall of the raised floor, the sets of vent ducts to direct air flow upwardly into the chamber of the container. The air duct includes a proximal end located proximate to an opening within the top wall of the container, a distal end fed through the enclosed structure to a canine-sniffing location, and one or more fan to pull air out of the chamber and deliver the air to the canine-sniffing location within the enclosed structure.

In an electronic nose apparatus and method based on spectrum analysis, 1) a gaseous sample is dissolved into a solvent in an impinger, and the sample dissolved into the solvent is introduced into an RF resonator, and 2) RF having various absorption spectra according to materials are generated in the RF resonator, and the type of gas is determined through spectrum analysis so that an electronic nose is implemented. In this way, it is possible to overcome the resolution of gas chromatography (GC) and a sensor array and a limited number of multi-channel sensors (the number of channels).

A system and method for creating a scent database is described. An electronic sensing unit is used to receive an odorant sample and generate an electronic signature characterizing the sample received therein via a guiding unit that guides a first portion of the sample into an electronic sampling unit and a second portion of the sample towards an outlet. A control unit is used to receive data indicative of the signature generated by the sensing unit and data from user(s) indicative of olfactive descriptors characterizing the sample to which the users are exposed, enabling creation of a data record including first and second data corresponding to the same sample. The database includes data, each associated with a specific odorant sample, which may be used to characterise/formulate/create, a desired scent based on comparison of an electric signature generated for the scent and data records which signatures comply with best compliance criterion.

Metal oxide-based integrated chemical sensors using a hybrid polycrystalline gas-sensitive material to create a uniform and integrated sensory system. The sensor system provides the unique properties such as improved sensor sensitivity due to reduced thickness, improved selectivity for specific analyte detection in the ppb, faster time of response, decreased time of reset and decreased power consumption in comparison to existing sensor technologies. The present invention also provides novel, metal oxide-based chemical sensor platforms, a novel method of making metal oxide-based chemical sensors, platforms and/or integrated chemical sensors.

Animal-based olfactory detection of one or more target substances in a sequence of filters includes providing one or more enclosures each housing an animal, each enclosure including a sample presenting structure via which only a single olfactory sample is presented to the animal at any given time, presenting samples of the sequence of filters to the animal via the structure, one at a time, and generating an output indication of olfactory detection of target substances in the sequence of filters.

An odor is detected with high accuracy. A sensing system includes: a sensor apparatus including a filter to remove an odor-causing substance contained in air and a sensor unit including one or more detection elements to detect an amount of the odor-causing substance contained in air; and an information processing apparatus including a difference calculation unit to calculate a difference between a detection value of each of the one or more detection elements, the detection value indicating an amount of the odor-causing substance contained in air that has passed through the filter and a detection value of each of the one or more detection elements, the detection value indicating an amount of the odor-causing substance contained in air that has not passed through the filter, and a determination unit to determine an odor of air based on the calculated difference.

Method and device for the analysis of a gas sample; the method provides for the sample to be conveyed from an inlet along a feeding duct and from the feeding duct, divided into equal portions, along a plurality of passage channels and through a plurality of detecting stations; in the area of each detecting station a sensor is arranged, which detects a different characteristic of the sample; the gas sample portions are conveyed directly and precisely onto the sensors so as to increase the speed and sensitivity of the detection.