Pearce T C
School of Engineering, University of Derby, UK.
Biosystems. 1997;41(1):43-67. doi: 10.1016/s0303-2647(96)01661-9.
Over the last fifteen years, we have witnessed a rapid expansion in the development of artificial odour sensing systems, or so called 'electronic nose' systems. Whilst the power of this approach to flavour analysis has undoubtedly been demonstrated by its recent application to various complex odours, it will be argued that the original research programme, aimed at developing a comparative model of the biological olfactory pathway, has degenerated into an attempt to obtain an ad hoc workable system, based around readily available sensor and pattern recognition (PARC) technologies. At the time, the first 'model' nose system reflected the limited understanding of sensory information processing carried out within the biological olfactory pathway. We are now presented with an opportunity to evaluate and re-assess the architecture for an electronic nose, in view of the recent advances in understanding the key processing principals exploited by the olfactory bulb and cortex in the identification and characterisation of molecular stimuli. In Part I of this paper, the rapid developments in the understanding of the information processing performed by the biological olfactory system are critically reviewed, and its relevance to current research in artificial olfaction is considered. Not only have the initial biochemical pathways involved in the transduction of odour stimuli been uncovered, but also computational models of the key synaptic circuits have advanced to the point where network simulations are clearly capable of odour discrimination. The key processing principles exploited in the olfactory pathway for overcoming operating constraints such as sensor drift/degeneration, limited sensitivity, and xenobiotic response are highlighted, so that their integration into the electronic analogue may be explored in Part II.
在过去的十五年里，我们见证了人工气味传感系统，即所谓的“电子鼻”系统的迅速发展。尽管这种风味分析方法的威力最近通过其在各种复杂气味中的应用得到了无疑的证明，但有人认为，最初旨在开发生物嗅觉通路比较模型的研究计划，已退化为试图获得一个基于现成传感器和模式识别（PARC）技术的临时可行系统。当时，第一个“模型”鼻系统反映了对生物嗅觉通路内感官信息处理的有限理解。鉴于最近在理解嗅球和皮层在识别和表征分子刺激时所利用的关键处理原则方面取得的进展，我们现在有机会评估和重新评估电子鼻的架构。在本文的第一部分，对生物嗅觉系统所执行的信息处理的理解方面的快速发展进行了批判性回顾，并考虑了其与当前人工嗅觉研究的相关性。不仅发现了气味刺激转导中涉及的初始生化途径，而且关键突触回路的计算模型已经发展到网络模拟显然能够进行气味辨别的程度。突出了嗅觉通路中为克服诸如传感器漂移/退化、有限灵敏度和异源生物反应等操作限制而利用的关键处理原则，以便在第二部分中探讨将它们整合到电子模拟中的可能性。
