Rapid detection of aromas using integrated gas chromatography with multiarray sensors

摘要

Methods and devices are described for rapidly and simultaneously detecting, quantifying, and imaging gases, odors, malodors, volatiles and semi-volatiles using gas chromatography coupled with arrays of organic conducting polymers. The methods utilize changes in the polymer conductivity as a function of temperature to detect volatile organic molecules upon adsorption to the polymers. By raising the sensor temperature, adsorbed materials are further desorbed. This eliminates the fundamental problems of sensor fouling resulting from exposure to sulfur, nitrogen or ketone containing malodors. In a second embodiment, the resulting gas effluents from the sensor array are mixed with air, oxygen or hydrogen to produce a cloud of luminance that is detected by a charge-coupled device.