Study on a smell communication system using integrated bio-devices

本研究通过三个步骤，即（A）高气体选择性的生化气体传感器和鼻系统的构建，（B）气味再生器的制作，（C）气味交流系统的构建和感官评价，研究了一种新的气味交流系统。详细结果描述如下。(A)通过将生物催化剂（酶）固定在溶氧电极、丝网印刷电极和氧敏光纤的敏感尖端上，研制了几种生化气体传感器（生物器件、生物嗅探器）。可检测气体物质：乙醇、二甲硫醚、三甲胺、甲基异丙胺、氨、乙醛、甲醛等。(B)用2 × 2ch气体发生器（共4ch）制作了典型气味成分乙醇（醇-）、三甲胺（鱼-）、甲基硫醚（萝卜-）和二甲基硫醚（海藻气味物质）的气味再现器。(C)通过将（A）生物鼻与（B）气体再现器连接，构建了用于上述组分的气味通信系统。该系统应用于食物和饮料（酒精，鱼，萝卜和海藻）的气味通信，并通过健康男性受试者的感官测试进行评估，从而获得80%以上的气味传递率。

A newly smell communication system with analyzing and reproducing chemical constituents of smell was investigated with three steps, (A) Constructions of biochemical gas-sensors and nose system with high gas-selectivity, (B) Fabrication of a smell regenerator, (C) Construction and sensory evaluation of the smell communication system. The detailed results are described as follows.(A) Several kinds of biochemical gas-sensors (bio-device, bio-sniffer) were developed by immobilizing biological catalysts (enzyme) onto sensing tip of dissolved oxygen electrode, screen printed electrodes and oxygen sensitive optical fibers. Detectable gas-substances: ethanol, dimethyl sulfide, trimethylamine, methyl mercaptan, ammonia, acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, etc.(B) The smell reproducer for typical smell constituents, ethanol (alcohol-), trimethylamine (fish-), methyl mercaptan (radish-) and dimethyl sulfide(seaweed-odor substance), was fabricated using 2 x 2ch gas-generators (totally 4ch).(C) The smell communication system for the above mentioned constituents was constructed by connecting (A) the bio-nose with (B) the gas-reproducer. The system was applied for smell communications of food and drink (alcohol, fish, radish and seaweed), and evaluated by the sensory test with healthy male subjects, thus obtained over 80% of smell transmissibility.