Abstract: The present invention provides an odor measuring apparatus capable of assuredly detecting and evaluating such odors that cannot be detected by a measurement apparatus using conventional odor sensors. In an embodiment of the present invention, a gas sample to be measured is introduced into the column 10 of a gas chromatograph 1 to temporally separate it into odor components, which are then introduced into a mass spectrometer (MS) 2 and an odor discriminator 3 in parallel. The data processor 51 creates a chromatogram and/or a mass spectrum from the detection signals generated by the detector 24 of the MS 2, and also calculates the similarity of each odor component to standard odors and/or the degree of contribution from the detection signals generated by the detection circuit 33 of the odor discriminator 3. The processor 51 displays a similarity radar chart or similar graphic information on the display 53, where each peak present on the chromatogram is associated with the information.

Abstract: The present invention provides an odor discriminating apparatus capable of determining the similarities or differences between plural odors with respect to the odor quality and the odor intensity, and showing the measurement result in such a manner that helps the user to correctly understand the result. According to the present invention, plural samples of a reference odor gas, each sample having a different concentration, are measured with m pieces of odor sensors. Based on the measurement result, a calibration curve is created in an m-dimensional space formed by the detection signals of the m pieces of odor sensors (Steps S1–S3). Next, a measurement point U0 representing the measurement result of a subject odor is plotted in the m-dimensional space.

Abstract: The present invention provides an odor measuring apparatus capable of assuredly detecting and evaluating such odors that cannot be detected by a measurement apparatus using conventional odor sensors. In an embodiment of the present invention, a gas sample to be measured is introduced into the column 10 of a gas chromatograph 1 to temporally separate it into odor components, which are then introduced into a mass spectrometer (MS) 2 and an odor discriminator 3 in parallel. The data processor 51 creates a chromatogram and/or a mass spectrum from the detection signals generated by the detector 24 of the MS 2, and also calculates the similarity of each odor component to standard odors and/or the degree of contribution from the detection signals generated by the detection circuit 33 of the odor discriminator 3. The processor 51 displays a similarity radar chart or similar graphic information on the display 53, where each peak present on the chromatogram is associated with the information.

Abstract: The present invention provides an odor discriminating apparatus capable of determining the similarities or differences between plural odors with respect to the odor quality and the odor intensity, and showing the measurement result in such a manner that helps the user to correctly understand the result. According to the present invention, plural samples of a reference odor gas, each sample having a different concentration, are measured with m pieces of odor sensors. Based on the measurement result, a calibration curve is created in an m-dimensional space formed by the detection signals of the m pieces of odor sensors (Steps S1-S3). Next, a measurement point U0 representing the measurement result of a subject odor is plotted in the m-dimensional space.

Abstract: The present invention proposes an odor measuring apparatus capable of determining the similarity of the odor of an unknown sample with high objectivity and performing measurements with sensitivity similar to that of the human nose. According to a mode of the invention, an m-dimensional space is created from detection signals of m pieces of odor sensors, and a standard odor vector S1 representing the result of measurement of a standard odor and another vector Sx representing the result of measurement of an unknown sample are drawn in the space. Then, from the angle &thgr; between the two vectors, a degree of similarity is determined within the range from 0 to 100%, where the degree of similarity is corrected taking account of the difference in sensitivity between the odor sensor and the human nose.

Abstract: The present invention proposes an odor measuring apparatus capable of determining the similarity of the odor of an unknown sample with high objectivity and performing measurements with sensitivity similar to that of the human nose. According to a mode of the invention, an m-dimensional space is created from detection signals of m pieces of odor sensors, and a standard odor vector S1 representing the result of measurement of a standard odor and another vector Sx representing the result of measurement of an unknown sample are drawn in the space. Then, from the angle &thgr; between the two vectors, a degree of similarity is determined within the range from 0 to 100%, where the degree of similarity is corrected taking account of the difference in sensitivity between the odor sensor and the human nose.

Abstract: A device for measurement of an odor component in a sample gas prepares many target gases to be actually measured by a plurality of sensors with different response characteristics, each containing the odor component at a different concentration. Detection signals from these sensors are analyzed by a method of multivariate analysis such as the principal component analysis, and the odor component is characterized on the basis of such an analysis. For preparing the target gases, the sample gas containing the odor component is passed through a collector tube containing an adsorbent which adsorbs this odor component at normal and subnormal temperature and desorbs it when heated. After a specified amount of the odor component is adsorbed to the adsorbent, the tube is heated and an inert gas serving as carrier gas is passed through such that the desorbed odor component is carried to the detectors as a target gas.

Abstract: In order to improve a signal-to-noise ratio of an optical detector with a light source and a photodetector of ordinary performance, light is applied from an ultraviolet lamp 6 which is provided on one side of a capillary cell 4 while light generated from the capillary cell 4 is received by an array photodetector 14 provided on the other side thereof. A lens 18 makes positions on the capillary cell 4 to correspond to those on the array photodetector 14. A data processing part 20 temporarily stores corrected and incorporated detection outputs, and calculates integrated averages while displacing time bases so that those of the same sample portions are overlapped with each other.

Abstract: A thermal photodetector includes a thermal photodetector element and a support stand for supporting the thermal photodetector element. The support stand is made of a material of which heat conduction is relatively small, and is thermally connected to and mounted on a mount of which temperature is controlled to a predetermined temperature. The sizes of the support stand are determined such that the quantity of heat conduction in a heat conduction passage from the thermal photodetector element to the mount is equal to a predetermined quantity. The method of manufacturing this thermal detector includes the steps of exposing, to light, a photosensitive glass plate having a thickness corresponding to the height of a support stand of a thermal photodetector to be manufactured. The light exposure is made with the use of a mask having a shape which corresponds to the shape in transverse section of the support stand.