Electronic noses have been used for many years in the food and beverage industry for quality control. Till date the ability of this robotic nose was not very good as it had six to 12 arrays of chemical sensors connected to or neural network capable of recognizing patterns of molecules. Whereas, human nose consists of more than 100 million receptors which are able to dock with these molecules. It is able to separate out different odour molecules so that they arrive at the receptors at different speeds and times.
Now the scientists have found artificial mucus that mimics one found in human nose and controls the rate at which different odors bombard sensors. Researchers at University of Warwick and Leicester University have found that applying a 10 micron (one thousandth of a centimetre) layer of a polymer inside the sensor significantly improves the performance of the nose.
This new electronic nose will be available after two years and will find wide applications concerning medical treatment as it will be capable to diagnose eye infections, skin diseases and urinary infections.
The US space agency NASA has also developed an electronic nose to detect pollutants inside space craft to prevent the build up of potentially lethal concentrations.
Via: BBC
