Sensor characterization for multisensor odor-discrimination system

In recent years, with the advent of new and cheaper sensors, the use of olfactory systems in homes, industries, and hospitals has a new start. Multisensor systems can improve the ability to distinguish between complex mixtures of volatile substances. To develop multisensor systems that are accurate and reliable, it is important to take into account the anomalies that may arise because of electronic instabilities, types of sensors, and air flow. In this approach, 32 metal oxide semiconductor sensors of 7 different types and operating at different temperatures have been used to develop a multisensor olfactory system. Each type of sensor has been characterized to select the most suitable temperature combinations. In addition, a prechamber has been designed to ensure a good air flow from the sample to the sensing area. The multisensor system has been tested with good results to perform multidimensional information detection of two fruits, based on obtaining sensor matrix data, extracting three features parameters from each sensor curve and using these parameters as the input to a pattern recognition system. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Cueto Belchí, AD.; Rothpfeffer, N.; Pelegrí Sebastiá, J.; Chilo, J.; García Rodríguez, D.; Sogorb Devesa, TC. (2013). Sensor characterization for multisensor odor-discrimination system. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical. 191:68-72. doi:10.1016/j.sna.2012.11.039S687219

Efficient feature selection for mass spectrometry based electronic nose applications

High dimensionality is inherent to MS-based electronic nose applications where hundreds of variables per measurement (m/z fragments) - a significant number of them being highly correlated or noisy - are available. Feature selection is, therefore, an unavoidable pre-processing step if robust and parsimonious pattern classification models are to be developed. In this article, a new strategy for feature selection has been introduced and its good performance demonstrated using two MS e-nose databases. The feature selection is conducted in three steps. The first two steps are aimed at removing noisy, non-informative and highly collinear features (i.e., redundant), respectively. These two steps are computationally inexpensive and allow for dramatically reducing the number of variables (near 80% of initially available features are eliminated after the second step). The third step makes use of a stochastic variable selection method (simulated annealing) to further reduce the number of variables. For example, applying the method to an Iberian ham database has resulted in the number of features being reduced from 209 down to 14. Using the surviving m/z fragments, a fuzzy ARTMAP classifier was able to sort ham samples according to producer and quality (11-category classification) with a 97.24% success rate. The whole feature selection process runs in a few minutes in a Pentium IV PC platform. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.This work was funded in part by CICYT under project no. TIC2003-06301, by the Thematic Network in Metabolism and Nutrition ref. C03/08 and by AECI under project no. 39/04/P/EPeer Reviewe

Efficient feature selection for mass spectrometry based electronic nose applications

High dimensionality is inherent to MS-based electronic nose applications where hundreds of variables per measurement (m/z fragments) - a significant number of them being highly correlated or noisy - are available. Feature selection is, therefore, an unavoidable pre-processing step if robust and parsimonious pattern classification models are to be developed. In this article, a new strategy for feature selection has been introduced and its good performance demonstrated using two MS e-nose databases. The feature selection is conducted in three steps. The first two steps are aimed at removing noisy, non-informative and highly collinear features (i.e., redundant), respectively. These two steps are computationally inexpensive and allow for dramatically reducing the number of variables (near 80% of initially available features are eliminated after the second step). The third step makes use of a stochastic variable selection method (simulated annealing) to further reduce the number of variables. For example, applying the method to an Iberian ham database has resulted in the number of features being reduced from 209 down to 14. Using the surviving m/z fragments, a fuzzy ARTMAP classifier was able to sort ham samples according to producer and quality (11-category classification) with a 97.24% success rate. The whole feature selection process runs in a few minutes in a Pentium IV PC platform. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.This work was funded in part by CICYT under project no. TIC2003-06301, by the Thematic Network in Metabolism and Nutrition ref. C03/08 and by AECI under project no. 39/04/P/EPeer Reviewe

Quality Evaluation of Fish and Other Seafood by Traditional and Nondestructive Instrumental Methods: Advantages and Limitations

International audienceAlthough being one of the most vulnerable and perishable products, fish and other seafoods provide a wide range of health-promoting compounds. Recently, the growing interest of consumers in food quality and safety issues has contributed to the increasing demand for sensitive and rapid analytical technologies. Several traditional physicochemical, textural, sensory, and electrical methods have been used to evaluate freshness and authentication of fish and other seafood products. Despite the importance of these standard methods, they are expensive and time-consuming, and often susceptible to large sources of variation. Recently, spectroscopic methods and other emerging techniques have shown great potential due to speed of analysis, minimal sample preparation, high repeatability, low cost, and, most of all, the fact that these techniques are noninvasive and nondestructive and, therefore, could be applied to any online monitoring system. This review describes firstly and briefly the basic principles of multivariate data analysis, followed by the most commonly traditional methods used for the determination of the freshness and authenticity of fish and other seafood products. A special focus is put on the use of rapid and nondestructive techniques (spectroscopic techniques and instrumental sensors) to address several issues related to the quality of these products. Moreover, the advantages and limitations of each technique are reviewed and some perspectives are also given