Hopper Richard, Popa Daniel, Maggioni Emanuela, Patel Devarsh, Obrist Marianna, Landis Basile Nicolas, Hsieh Julien Wen, Udrea Florin
OWidgets Ltd. - OW Smell Made Digital, London, E1 1DU, UK.
Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0FA, UK.
Commun Eng. 2024 Oct 11;3(1):141. doi: 10.1038/s44172-024-00286-1.
To improve our understanding of the perception of odors, researchers are often required to undertake experimental procedures with users exposed to multiple odors in a variety of settings, including to diagnose smell loss in clinics and care homes. Existing smell tests are typically administered using multiple sniffing pens, manually presented to patients by a highly specialized nurse using a time-consuming and complex testing paradigm. Automated odor delivery devices, such as olfactometer systems, exist but are expensive, bulky and typically lab based, making them difficult to use for on the ground odor delivery. Here we have developed a portable, affordable, odor delivery device that can deliver 24 odors through individual channels with high temporal precision and without cross-contamination. The device allows for the rapid, flexible sequencing of odors via digital control using a mobile application and has been experimentally validated in the lab, as well as tested on patients. The design provides several advantages for investigating olfactory perception and offers the possibility that users can one day self-administer smell tests in a range of settings, including at home, allowing smell healthcare services to evolve and become part of a routine practice and self-care culture.
为了增进我们对气味感知的理解，研究人员常常需要在各种环境中对接触多种气味的用户进行实验，包括在诊所和疗养院诊断嗅觉丧失情况。现有的嗅觉测试通常使用多个嗅探笔进行，由高度专业的护士以耗时且复杂的测试模式手动向患者展示。虽然存在诸如嗅觉计系统等自动气味输送设备，但它们价格昂贵、体积庞大，且通常基于实验室，这使得它们难以用于实地气味输送。在此，我们开发了一种便携式、价格合理的气味输送设备，该设备能够通过独立通道以高时间精度输送24种气味，且不会产生交叉污染。该设备允许通过移动应用程序进行数字控制，快速、灵活地对气味进行排序，并且已经在实验室中经过实验验证，也在患者身上进行了测试。这种设计为研究嗅觉感知提供了几个优点，并使得用户有可能在包括在家中在内的一系列环境中自行进行嗅觉测试，从而使嗅觉保健服务得以发展，并成为日常实践和自我保健文化的一部分。
