Nanoscopic Electronic Nose with High Speed, Sensitivity and Selectivity, Energy Efficiency, and Long Life

Analyte Sensor for the Detection and Identification of Analyte and a Method of Using

Executive Summary

The invention is an electronic nose that uses metal oxide nanowires as sensing elements, resulting in robust, cost-effective, sensitive, and highly selective nose-like gas analytical devices. Testing has demonstrated one of the best reported sensitivities to carbon monoxide in the air. Applications include industrial, medical, security, and domestic. The electronic nose can recognize a broad range or analytes, often in low concentrations, while working in a continuous mode.

Intellectual Property Status:

Patent pending.

Potential Commercial Uses

Mass production of chips for electronic noses for use in homeland security, military applications, food and agriculture industries, pollution control, automotive, medical application, etc.
Disease detection with breath test

Benefits and Competitive Advantages

High sensitivity and selectivity
High gas permeability, which improves the temporal characteristics of the e-nose
Dual signal transduction mechanism enables tuning of sensitivity and selectivity
Single crystallinity of the nanowire building block reduces and possibly eliminates aging effects

Brief Description:

This invention relates to an analyte sensor and a method of using the same to detect and identify a target analyte in a sample. The method of detecting and identifying a target analyte in a sample includes exposing the analyte sensor to the sample and detecting a detectable response produced when the sensor is exposed to the target analyte. The specificity of the detectable response to a particular analyte allows for both detection of the presence of the target analyte, and identification of the target analyte.

Links:

NanoLetters: A Gradient Microarray Electronic Nose Based on Percolating SnO Nanowire Sensing Elements, Published October 10, 2007;
"'Electronic Nose' Research at SIU," WSIL-TV
Spring 2011 Tech Transfer Newsletter Article: The E-nose for Food Spoilage

Keywords:

Electronic nose, e-nose, analyte sensor, disease detection, analyte sensor, metal oxide, nanowires, odor detection, odor analysis

Contact:

Jeff Myers, Senior Technology Transfer Specialist, (618) 453-4543, fax: (618) 453-8038
Amy McMorrow Hunter, Technology Transfer Specialist, (618) 453-4556

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