ElectronicNose
Latest
NASA's new e-nose can detect scent of cancerous brain cells
NASA's recently developed electronic nose, intended for air quality monitoring on Space Shuttle Endeavour and later the International Space Station, has a rather fortunate and unintended secondary role. In addition to being able to detect contaminants within about one to 10,000 parts per million, scientists have discovered it can also sniff out the difference in odor between normal and cancerous brain cells -- not a new use for e-noses, but certainly one that helps to advance the field. Groups such the as Brain Mapping Foundation, City of Hope Cancer Center, and Jet Propulsion Laboratory have been testing the technology and hope it one day leads to a new understanding of cancer development. We'd also wager it can accurately detect what cologne or perfume you're wearing, another unintended side effect and probably not as fun of a party trick as it seems. [Via Slashdot; image courtesy of RSC]
NASA's newest e-nose for ISS thinks you're wearing too much cologne
Electronic noses are nothing new, but it's always interesting when you throw space into the mix. NASA's most recent Endeavor mission has taken with it a third generation e-nose that's the size of a shoebox, where it will act as a detection and warning system for air contaminants. The ISS currently has no system and relies wholly on the astronauts' actual noses. Developed and built by AEMC, the new nose's dynamic range is from less than one part per million to about 10,000 parts per million -- much more sensitive than human honkers. The e-nose has 32 sensors made of polymer films that respond to different chemicals by changing electrical conductivity, and it's capable of both detecting and analyzing what it "smells." The nose is going to be operational on the space station for a beginning trial period of six months, and we have a feeling that its first accomplishment will be to point out that there's something strange about the water. [Via Physorg]
Electronic nose boasts "snoot full of sensory neurons"
It may be a sad state of affairs but, the fact is, it's tough for an electronic nose to stand out from the pack these days. This latest effort from some researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology looks to have quite a bit going for it, however, including a collection of eight different types of sensors and 16 "microheaters," which can be tweaked ever so slightly to effectively create 5,600 virtual sensors or, as the researchers helpfully describe, the "analytical equivalent of a snoot full of sensory neurons." That, the researchers say, could let the "nose" sniff out everything from nerve agents and environmental contaminants to trace indicators of disease -- assuming it ever gets out of the lab, that is, which is something the researchers aren't making any promises about just yet.[Via MedGadget]
Researchers developing advanced electronic nose
Creating minuscule devices that can mimic olfactory systems is nothing new, but an international team of researchers are reportedly working to improve an existing design by basing it on metal oxide nanowires. Granted, the actual technology is a bit above our noses, er, heads, but according to Dr. Andrei Kolmakov, the team's aim was to "demonstrate the excellent performance of a practical device made by combining bottom-up fabricated SnO2 nanowires / nanobelts as sensing elements with a multi-electrode KAMINA [e-nose] platform." More specifically, these gurus decided to implement a "completely new morphology of the sensing layer" composed of tin oxide nanowires rather than the traditional thin-film sensing element. Not surprisingly, those working on perfecting the device are hoping to one day have it installed in areas where intelligent sensor systems are used, but we wouldn't overlook the possibility of finding these things embedded in shirts of the future for those paranoid about their freshness.[Via Coolest-Gadgets]
Researchers catch a whiff of "aroma fingerprints"
While we've already seen just how savvy dogs are at scouting out cellphones, researchers around the globe have teamed up to find out how pups distinguish the aromas that each individual emits, and the result is a highly influential electronic nose. Now if the boys in blue can't track you down via fingerprint, EEG signatures, or just looking at those guilt-filled eyes, it looks like your "aroma fingerprint" just might find you out anyway. The team has uncovered that each human has at least 44 chemical compounds in their odors that can be distinguished, and aside from assisting in identification, can be used in forensic studies to determine true causes behind crimes, deaths, or other misdemeanors. It's even stated that this new technique can assist officials in learning about one's "gender, lifestyle, whether or not they smoke, recent meals, and stress levels." Of course, criminals could be shaking in their boots, but until the scientists find a way to sniff through "deodorant and perfume," we can't exactly count on this being reliable.[Via Spluch]
UC Berkeley's disease-detecting E-Nose
The last time we checked in on electronic nose technology, hospitals were using the still-boutique devices for very specialized institutional work such as monitoring nasty bacteria outbreaks. Recent breakthroughs by a company called Nanomix, however, could make E-Noses a standard tool in every patient examination room, with UC Berkeley researchers using the company's tech to design cheap devices that can "sniff out" disease-laden molecules in samples a person's breath. Nanomix's "Sensation" detection platform uses multiple, configurable carbon nanotube-based sensors to instantly provide a reading from a puff or air, although the exact diseases that the battery-powered devices will be programmed to detect have not been announced. We do know that the first application of this tech will probably be for carbon dioxide detection, allowing emergency personnel to immediately determine the efficacy of breathing tubes used to stabilize patients on board an ambulance.
