Gas path system of an optoelectronic nose and optoelectronic nose

Abstract

The application provides a gas path system of an optoelectronic nose and the optoelectronic nose. The gas path system comprises a carrier gas source, a mass flow control device, a plasma generating device and a gas injection device connected with a storage container storing a gas to be measured. The carrier gas source is connected with the input end of the plasma generating device through the mass flow control device. The gas injection device is connected with the input end of the plasma generating device. The output end of the plasma generating device is sequentially connected with a multi-channel switching device and a light sensor group. The light sensor group comprises a plurality of parallel light sensors. The multi-channel switching device is connected between the plasma generating device and the light sensor group and is configured to connect the output end of the plasma generating device with one of the light sensors. The gas path system provided by the application not only has a simple structure, but also has the characteristics of facilitating control and maintenance while effectively improving the stability of the gas path system.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of respiratory gas detection, and particularly relates to a gas path system of an optoelectronic nose and the optoelectronic nose. BACKGROUND

[0002] Cancer is still one of the most serious diseases threatening human life and health in today's society. As the disease with the highest incidence of cancer in China, the cure rate of lung cancer is closely related to the diagnosis stage.

[0003] Related researches prove that there is a certain difference between the volatile organic compounds in the respiratory gas of lung cancer patients and ordinary people, and the diagnosis of lung cancer can be realized by the composition of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the respiratory gas of people, which can effectively advance the diagnosis stage of lung cancer and improve the cure rate of lung cancer patients. At present, the traditional electronic nose mainly relies on the cross-sensitive gas sensitive sensor array arranged therein, which can realize qualitative and quantitative identification of VOC composition in respiratory gas, thereby providing a basis for the diagnosis of lung cancer. In order to improve the sensitivity of VOC detection, a kind of optoelectronic nose is provided in the related technology, and the optoelectronic nose has a plurality of light sensors, and the plurality of light sensors are respectively placed in the independent flow channel cavities in the optoelectronic nose, so as to improve the sensitivity of VOC detection of the electronic nose by the light sensor.

[0004] However, the gas path system of the optoelectronic nose in the related technology has poor stability and complex structure, which is not convenient for the control and maintenance of the gas path system. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application provides a kind of optoelectronic nose's gas path system and optoelectronic nose, not only simple structure, and effectively improve the stability of the gas path system of optoelectronic nose, also have the characteristics of being convenient for control and maintenance.

[0006] The first aspect of the present application provides a kind of optoelectronic nose's gas path system, gas path system includes carrier gas source, mass flow control device, gas injection device and plasma generating device, the gas injection device has injection inlet and injection outlet, the injection inlet is connected with the storage container that stores the gas to be measured, the output end of the carrier gas source is connected with the input end of the mass flow control device, the input end of the mass flow control device and the injection outlet are all connected with the input end of the plasma generating device, the output end of the plasma generating device is sequentially connected with multiple channel switching device and light sensor group, and the light sensor group includes a plurality of parallel light sensors;

[0007] The optical sensor is configured to catalyze the volatile organic compounds in the gas to be tested to react with the carrier gas source; the multi-channel switching device is connected between the plasma generating device and the optical sensor, and is configured to connect the output end of the plasma generating device with one of the optical sensors.

[0008] In some optional embodiments, the multi-channel switching device has an inlet channel, a mover, and a plurality of outlet channels, the outlet channels correspond to the optical sensors one by one and are in communication with each other, the mover has a communication channel, and the mover is rotatably arranged between the inlet channel and the outlet channels to make the communication channel communicate the inlet channel and one of the outlet channels.

[0009] In some optional embodiments, a first end of the communication channel is in communication with the inlet channel, a second end of the communication channel is in communication with one of the outlet channels, and the second end is rotatably arranged relative to the first end with the first end as the axis.

[0010] In some optional embodiments, the multi-channel switching device has a control board, and the mover is a motor mover; the control board is electrically connected with the motor mover and is configured to control the rotation of the motor mover.

[0011] In some optional embodiments, the gas path system includes a connecting pipeline connected between the output end of the plasma generating device and the inlet channel.

[0012] In some optional embodiments, the optical sensor has an inlet port, an outlet port, and a detection core, the inlet port is in communication with the outlet channel, and the outlet port is arranged opposite to the inlet port;

[0013] The detection core is located between the inlet port and the outlet port and is configured to catalyze the volatile organic compounds to react with the carrier gas in the carrier gas source.

[0014] In some optional embodiments, the gas injection device includes an injector cavity, a sample valve body, and an injection valve body, the injection inlet and the injection outlet are both in communication with the injector cavity, and the injector cavity is in communication with the storage container through the injection inlet; the sample valve body is located at the injection inlet, and the injection valve body is located at the injection outlet.

[0015] In some optional embodiments, the gas path system includes a drying device connected between the carrier gas source and the mass flow control device.

[0016] In some alternative embodiments, the gas path system comprises a communication assembly connected between the mass flow control device and the plasma generating device and between the gas injection device and the plasma generating device.

[0017] The second aspect of the present application provides an optoelectronic nose comprising a control unit and a gas path system of the optoelectronic nose according to any one of the above, wherein the control unit is electrically connected to the multi-channel switching device, the plasma generating device, the gas injection device and the mass flow control device in the gas path system of the optoelectronic nose.

[0018] The present application provides a gas path system of an optoelectronic nose and an optoelectronic nose. Firstly, the multi-channel switching device is provided in the gas path system, so that the connection between different optical sensors and the plasma generating device can be achieved by quickly switching the multi-channel switching device. The structure of the gas path system can be simplified to the greatest extent, the stability of the gas path system is effectively improved, the control components such as valve bodies in the gas path system are reduced, and the control and maintenance of the gas path system are facilitated. Then, the mass flow control device is provided. The output end of the carrier gas source is connected to the input end of the mass flow control device, and the input end of the mass flow control device is connected to the input end of the plasma generating device. The mass flow of the carrier gas in the carrier gas source can be controlled to maintain relatively stable reaction conditions, and the stability of the gas path system can be further improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the drawings needed in the embodiments or prior art description will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor.

[0020] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a gas path system of an optoelectronic nose provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a multi-channel switching device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 3 is a control principle diagram of an optoelectronic nose provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0023] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] 100-gas path system;

[0025] 10-carrier gas source;

[0026] 20-mass flow control device;

[0027] 30 - drying device;

[0028] 40 - gas injection device;

[0029] 41 - injection inlet;

[0030] 42 - injection outlet;

[0031] 43 - injector cavity;

[0032] 44 - sample introduction valve body;

[0033] 45 - injection valve body;

[0034] 50 - plasma generation device;

[0035] 60 - multi-channel switching device;

[0036] 61 - gas inlet channel;

[0037] 62 - gas outlet channel;

[0038] 63 - mobile valve;

[0039] 631 - communication channel;

[0040] 64 - fixed valve;

[0041] 70 - communication assembly;

[0042] 71 - first communication member;

[0043] 72 - second communication member;

[0044] 73 - third communication member;

[0045] 74 - communication valve;

[0046] 80 - optical sensor;

[0047] 81 - gas inlet;

[0048] 82 - gas outlet;

[0049] 83 - detection core;

[0050] 90 - exhaust line;

[0051] 200 - control unit;

[0052] 300 - storage container. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] At present, cancer is still one of the most serious diseases threatening human life and health in today's society. According to the survey, the highest annual incidence of cancer in China is lung cancer. In actual treatment, it is found that the cure rate of lung cancer is closely related to its diagnosis stage, therefore, early and rapid screening of lung cancer is particularly important, through early and rapid screening, the diagnosis stage of lung cancer can be effectively advanced, which helps to improve the cure rate of lung cancer patients.

[0054] It has been proved by relevant research that the composition of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the breath of lung cancer patients is different from that of ordinary people, and the technical route of realizing lung cancer diagnosis by comparing the VOC composition distribution in the breath has been proved to be feasible.

[0055] Traditional VOC detection technology in breath includes ion mobility spectrometry, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry, etc. These analysis methods can realize relatively accurate component measurement, but also have many limitations, such as expensive equipment, complex structure, high operation requirements, etc.

[0056] In recent years, it has been found that the electronic nose based on the principle of biomimicry can qualitatively and quantitatively identify complex VOC components by virtue of its cross-sensitive gas-sensitive sensor array. Compared with traditional detection technology, the electronic nose has the advantages of convenient detection, low cost, simple operation, etc.

[0057] At present, the gas path system of the traditional electronic nose is to place all the sensors in the same gas chamber. The gas chamber is provided with an air inlet and an air outlet, and the air inlet end of the gas chamber is respectively connected with a carrier gas source and a sample introduction module, and the air outlet end of the gas chamber is provided with a flow control module, etc. In the measurement process, the sample introduction module introduces the sample (such as breath) into the gas chamber, and the air pump in the carrier gas source operates to introduce the carrier gas into the gas chamber, and the sample and the carrier gas diffuse into the gas chamber for reaction measurement. In the process of introducing the sample by the sample introduction module, the flow control module can control the gas introduction amount according to the control flow and the operation time. After the reaction for about a minute, the carrier gas in the carrier gas source is introduced again to clean the gas chamber after the reaction ends, which is convenient for next test.

[0058] The conventional electronic nose adopts sensors mostly metal oxide semiconductor gas sensitive sensors, which have the advantage of being able to be tested in parallel, so that a plurality of sensors can be arranged in the same gas chamber, and the simultaneous measurement of multiple sensors can be achieved by introducing a sample once. However, the metal oxide semiconductor gas sensitive sensor has a slow sensing response (response time of about min), in order to ensure the stable response of the sensor and prevent the poisoning of the sensor, the sample is sucked in before testing, and the reaction is carried out in a closed gas chamber; after the reaction is completed, the gas chamber is cleaned to avoid the covering of some components in the breath gas on the sensor, which causes the sensor to lose sensitivity partially or completely, thereby avoiding the occurrence of sensor poisoning.

[0059] At present, the detection sensitivity of the conventional electronic nose for VOC components in breath gas is generally poor, which cannot directly meet the trace detection (such as 1 ppm or less of a certain component in VOC) of VOC in breath gas.

[0060] Therefore, in the research and development process of the electronic nose, researchers have proposed a light sensor based on the principle of catalytic chemiluminescence, and the light electronic nose composed of the light sensor array has better detection sensitivity.

[0061] However, the principle of the light sensor is different from that of the metal oxide semiconductor sensor. First, the light sensor is difficult to test in parallel (i.e. to achieve simultaneous measurement of multiple sensors by introducing a sample once), because the measurement of the light sensor depends on the micro-light detector for the light sensor (micro-light detector for short) in order to detect the light emission of the sensor by the micro-light detector, thereby realizing the measurement of the VOC components and concentration in the sample such as breath gas. Considering the cost limitation, the micro-light detector is required to measure multiple light sensors in sequence at present, but not simultaneously. Second, the response time of the light sensor is in seconds, and the sensitivity is higher than that of the metal oxide semiconductor sensor, so in order to ensure the consistency of the sensing signals of each light sensor, the gas path system of the light electronic nose needs to meet the following adjustments:

[0062] 1. The gas flow quickly flows through the surface of the light sensor, rather than being stationary near the light sensor;

[0063] 2. The gas field near the light sensor should be kept consistent during testing.

[0064] Therefore, the gas path system in the conventional electronic nose cannot meet the needs of the light sensor.

[0065] In the related art, a gas path system of an optoelectronic nose is provided. In the gas path system, the mode of inhaled samples and a cleaning gas chamber is changed to a flow injection mode. That is, a carrier gas is passed through the gas path system. When testing, a sample (such as breath) is injected into a plasma generator in the gas path system. The sample diffuses while moving with the carrier gas in the gas path system to a sensor, forming a certain concentration gradient for testing by the optical sensor. Compared with a traditional electronic nose, the optoelectronic nose can provide a fast response environment, helping to improve the speed (such as response speed) of the optical sensor sensing and the consistency of the test results. At the same time, a plurality of optical sensors are respectively placed in independent flow channel cavities. Each flow channel cavity is connected in communication with an output pipeline of the plasma generator in the gas path system through a branch pipeline. A gas valve is additionally installed in front of each flow channel cavity. During testing, only one gas valve is opened, that is, only the branch pipeline corresponding to one optical sensor is connected in conduction with the output pipeline of the plasma generator, so that the micro-light detector can only detect the signal of the optical sensor. When another optical sensor needs to be tested, the gas valve on the branch pipeline corresponding to the other optical sensor is opened, and the micro-light detector in the optoelectronic nose detects the light emission of the other optical sensor. In this way, sequential testing of the optical sensors of the optoelectronic nose is realized.

[0066] However, because the mass flow of the carrier gas in the gas path is not constant, the reaction conditions of each optical sensor in the flow channel cavity are unstable, which makes the stability of the gas path system of the optoelectronic nose in the related art poor. Moreover, each flow channel cavity is connected in communication with the output pipeline of the plasma generator in the gas path system through a branch pipeline, which makes the gas path system of the optoelectronic nose in the related art have more gas path branches, more redundant pipelines and bent pipelines, and is prone to cause accumulation of samples and carrier gas. In actual testing, this can cause obvious signal fluctuation, and even can make it difficult for the optoelectronic nose to test breath, making the stability of the gas path system and the stability of the detection results of the optoelectronic nose worse.

[0067] In addition, because a gas valve is additionally installed on the branch pipeline in front of each flow channel cavity, the number of gas valves in the gas path system of the optoelectronic nose in the related art is large, and needs to be controlled respectively, which causes great trouble for integration of the gas path system, and if a part is damaged, it is difficult to detect and replace, making the structure of the gas path system of the optoelectronic nose and the optoelectronic nose in the related art complex and difficult to maintain.

[0068] Therefore, the embodiment of the present application provides a gas path system of an optoelectronic nose and the optoelectronic nose. First, the multi-channel switching device is arranged in the gas path system, and the multi-channel switching device is used to quickly switch and connect different light sensors and the plasma generating device, so that the structure of the gas path system is simplified to the greatest extent, the stability of the gas path system is effectively improved, the control components such as the valve body in the gas path system are reduced, and the control and maintenance of the gas path system are facilitated. Then, the mass flow control device is arranged, the output end of the carrier gas source is connected with the input end of the mass flow control device, the input end of the mass flow control device is connected with the input end of the plasma generating device, the mass flow of the carrier gas in the carrier gas source is controlled, the reaction condition is maintained to be relatively stable, and the stability of the gas path system is further improved.

[0069] The gas path system of the optoelectronic nose is further described below in combination with the drawings and specific embodiments.

[0070] Embodiment

[0071] Figure 1 The structure of the gas path system of the optoelectronic nose is shown.

[0072] Reference Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the gas path system 100 of the optoelectronic nose includes a carrier gas source 10, a mass flow control device 20, a gas injection device 40 and a plasma generating device 50. The gas injection device 40 has an injection inlet 41 and an injection outlet 42, and the injection inlet 41 is connected with a storage container 300 storing a to-be-tested gas. The to-be-tested gas can include but is not limited to respiratory gas or other gas with volatile organic compounds. The output end of the carrier gas source 10 is connected with the input end of the mass flow control device 20, the input end of the mass flow control device 20 and the injection outlet 42 are both connected with the input end of the plasma generating device 50, and the output end of the plasma generating device 50 is sequentially connected with a multi-channel switching device 60 and a light sensor group. The light sensor group includes a plurality of parallel light sensors 80. The multi-channel switching device 60 is connected between the plasma generating device 50 and the light sensor 80, and is configured to connect the output end of the plasma generating device 50 with one of the light sensors 80. The light sensor 80 is configured to catalyze the reaction of the volatile organic compounds in the to-be-tested gas with the carrier gas source 10.

[0073] The gas path system 100 of the photoelectronic nose of the embodiment, first, through the setting of the multi-channel switching device 60 in the gas path system 100, since the output end of the plasma generating device 50 is sequentially connected with the multi-channel switching device 60 and the light sensor group, so that the multi-channel switching device 60 replaces the multiple gas valves in the gas path system of the photoelectronic nose in the related art and the branch pipeline in which the multiple gas valves are installed, not only can minimize the occurrence of redundant pipelines and bent pipelines in the gas path system 100, so as to simplify the structure of the gas path system 100, so that the stability of the gas path system 100 is effectively improved, but also maximizes the number of control components such as valve bodies in the gas path system 100, only needs to control the multi-channel switching device 60, can realize the accurate control and rapid switching of the multiple light sensors 80 and the plasma generating device 50, so as to facilitate the control and maintenance of the gas path system 100.

[0074] On this basis, then, through the setting of the mass flow control device 20, since the output end of the carrier gas source 10 is connected with the input end of the mass flow control device 20, and the input end of the mass flow control device 20 is connected with the input end of the plasma generating device 50, the mass flow of the carrier gas in the carrier gas source can be controlled to maintain relatively stable reaction conditions, and the stability of the gas path system 100 can be further improved.

[0075] Therefore, compared with the gas path system 100 of the photoelectronic nose in the related art, the gas path system 100 of the photoelectronic nose provided by the embodiment has the characteristics of safety and reliability, simple control, high precision and easy maintenance.

[0076] It should be noted that after a certain component of the volatile organic compound reacts with oxygen in the carrier gas provided by the carrier gas source 10 in the light sensor 80, the light sensor 80 can emit light to different degrees, so that the micro-light detector in the photoelectronic nose can provide different response curves by detecting the light emission amount of the light sensor 80, so that the photoelectronic nose can realize qualitative and quantitative detection of the components of the volatile organic compound VOC in the measured gas such as respiratory gas according to the response curve, provide effective basis for the diagnosis of lung cancer, effectively advance the diagnosis stage of lung cancer, and help to improve the cure rate of lung cancer patients.

[0077] Exemplarily, the carrier gas source 10 can adopt, but is not limited to, an air compressor, so as to provide a constant flow of carrier gas by the air compressor. The plasma generator can include, but is not limited to, a dielectric barrier ozone generator. In this way, when the carrier gas and the to-be-detected gas enter the plasma generating device 50, the carrier gas and the to-be-detected gas can be ionized by the plasma generating device 50 to generate ozone and other low-temperature plasma, so as to activate the carrier gas and the to-be-detected gas, so that the oxygen in the carrier gas and the to-be-detected gas are activated, so as to intensify the reaction degree of the oxygen in the carrier gas and the to-be-detected gas in the optical sensor 80, so that the light emission degree in the optical sensor 80 is intensified, the response speed of the optical sensor 80 is shortened as much as possible, and the sensing sensitivity of the optical sensor 80 is improved.

[0078] It should be noted that the optical sensor 80 in the embodiment is a gas-sensitive sensor based on the catalytic chemiluminescence principle. The optical sensor 80 has a gas inlet 81, a gas outlet 82, and a detection core 83. The gas inlet 81 is in communication with the gas inlet channel 62, and the gas outlet 82 is oppositely arranged with the gas inlet 81. The detection core 83 can be located between the gas inlet 81 and the gas outlet 82 and is configured to catalyze the reaction of volatile organic compounds in the to-be-detected gas with the carrier gas such as air in the carrier gas source 10. In this way, under the action of the catalyst, the reaction of certain components of the volatile organic compounds in the to-be-detected gas with the oxygen in the air can be promoted and intensified. During the reaction, the catalyst emits light to different degrees, so that the light emission of the multiple optical sensors 80 can be detected one by one by the micro-light detector in the optical electronic nose, thereby helping to realize qualitative and quantitative detection of the VOC components in the respiratory gas and meet the trace detection of VOC in the respiratory gas.

[0079] Exemplarily, the detection core 83 can include, but is not limited to, a ceramic rod coated with a catalyst. When the gas path system 100 is used to qualitatively and quantitatively detect the VOC components in the to-be-detected gas, optical sensors 80 with detection cores 83 having different types of catalysts can be arranged. Each type of catalyst corresponds to a component in VOC and can catalyze the reaction of the component in VOC with air. In this way, when the components in VOC are detected by multiple optical sensors 80, the light emission of the multiple optical sensors 80 can be detected one by one by the micro-light detector. The optical electronic nose can compare the detection results of the optical sensors 80 detected by the multiple micro-light detectors, determine the type of VOC components in the respiratory gas through the type of catalyst in the optical sensor 80 with more intense light emission, and determine the concentration of the VOC components in the respiratory gas according to the comparison result, so as to determine the distribution of the VOC components in the respiratory gas, realize qualitative and quantitative detection of the VOC components in the respiratory gas, and provide an effective basis for the diagnosis of lung cancer.

[0080] It should be noted that the embodiment mainly improves the gas path system 100 of the optoelectronic nose. The method for detecting and determining the distribution of VOC components in respiratory gas by the micro-light detector and the light sensor 80 and the output of the detection result are not further limited in the embodiment, and can be referred to the related description of the optoelectronic nose in the prior art.

[0081] The mass flow control device 20 can include but is not limited to a gas mass flow controller. The gas mass flow controller is an electromechanical device for precisely measuring and controlling the mass flow of gas in the prior art. In the embodiment of the application, the gas mass flow controller mainly functions to control the mass flow of the carrier gas to maintain stable reaction conditions. The circuit board of the gas mass flow controller can set and maintain the carrier gas at a specific mass flow, which can facilitate the control of the mass flow of the carrier gas entering the light sensor 80 and the query of the mass flow of the carrier gas entering the light sensor 80 by an external device.

[0082] In the embodiment, the storage container 300 can include but is not limited to a storage bag for storing the to-be-tested gas such as respiratory gas. In the test process of the optoelectronic nose, the storage container 300 is connected with the injection inlet 41 of the gas injection device 40, so that the to-be-tested gas stored in the storage container 300 can be stored in the gas injection device 40 through the injection inlet 41, and the to-be-tested gas can enter the plasma generation device 50 through the injection of the gas injection device 40.

[0083] As shown in Figure 1 The gas injection device 40 can include a syringe chamber 43, and the injection inlet 41 and the injection outlet 42 are both connected with the syringe chamber 43. The syringe chamber 43 is connected with the storage container 300 through the injection inlet 41. The injection inlet 41 can be connected with the syringe chamber 43 through an inlet pipeline, and the injection outlet 42 can be connected with the syringe chamber 43 through an outlet pipeline. The injection inlet 41 can be located at one end of the inlet pipeline away from the syringe chamber 43 and exposed on the surface of the gas injection device 40, so as to be connected with the storage container 300. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the end of the inlet pipeline away from the syringe chamber 43 can form the injection inlet 41. Correspondingly, the injection outlet 42 can be located at one end of the outlet pipeline away from the syringe chamber 43, so as to be connected with the plasma generation device 50. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the end of the outlet pipeline away from the syringe chamber 43 can form the injection outlet 42.

[0084] In order to facilitate the control of the gas injection device 40, as shown in Figure 1As shown, the gas injection device 40 can include a sample inlet valve 44 and an injection valve 45. The sample inlet valve 44 can be located on the inlet line to control the communication between the gas injection device 40 and the storage container 300. When the sample inlet valve 44 is open, the sample gas, such as the breath gas, in the storage container 300 can be drawn into the syringe chamber 43, thereby storing the breath gas. When the sample inlet valve 44 is closed, the sample gas in the storage container 300 can no longer be stored in the syringe chamber 43, thereby controlling the storage of the sample gas in the syringe chamber 43. The injection valve 45 can be located on the outlet line to control the injection of the sample gas, such as the breath gas, into the gas path system 100 when the injection valve 45 is open.

[0085] To facilitate the control of the opening and closing of the inlet line and the outlet line, the sample inlet valve 44 and the injection valve 45 can be, but are not limited to, solenoid valves.

[0086] For example, the gas injection device 40 can be, but is not limited to, a gas injection pump. The gas injection pump is an automated electromechanical device for gas injection in the prior art. The gas injection pump generally consists of a stepper motor, a syringe chamber 43, a solenoid valve, a control circuit board, etc. During the injection process, the injection volume and the injection speed of the sample gas can be adjusted by the control circuit board, so that the gas injection pump can be controlled by an external device.

[0087] Figure 2 A structure diagram of a multi-channel switching device is shown.

[0088] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the multi-channel switching device 60 has a gas inlet channel 61, a mover 63, and a plurality of gas outlet channels 62. The gas outlet channels 62 correspond to the light sensors 80 one by one and are in communication with each other. The mover 63 has a communication channel 631, and the mover 63 is rotatably arranged between the gas inlet channel 61 and the gas outlet channels 62 to communicate the gas inlet channel 61 and one of the gas outlet channels 62 through the communication channel 631. In this way, when it is necessary to switch the light sensors 80 in communication with the plasma generation device 50, only the rotation of the mover 63 needs to be controlled, and the rapid switching between the plurality of light sensors 80 can be achieved, thereby achieving the precise control of each light sensor 80 of the gas path system 100 in this embodiment, simplifying the structure of the gas path system 100 of the optoelectronic nose, and maximizing the reduction of the number of control components, such as valves, in the gas path system 100, so as to facilitate the control and maintenance of the gas path system 100.

[0089] Further reference Figure 2 As shown, the connecting channel 631 is configured to connect the inlet channel 61 and the outlet channel 62. That is, at the same time, by controlling the rotation of the mover 63, only one outlet channel 62 in the multi-channel switching device 60 is connected to the inlet channel 61, so as to realize the micro-photodetector to measure the photosensor 80 one by one. While realizing the qualitative and quantitative detection of VOC components in the breath, the airway system 100 and the photoelectronic nose have a lower manufacturing cost.

[0090] like Figure 2 As shown, the multi-channel switching device 60 has a fixed valve 64, an intake channel 61 and multiple outlet channels 62 that can be located on the fixed valve 64, and a moving element 63 that can be located below the fixed valve 64. A first end of a connecting channel 631 is connected to the intake channel 61, and a second end of the connecting channel 631 is connected to one of the outlet channels 62. For example, as the moving element 63 moves along... Figure 2 When the central axis o1 rotates in the direction shown or the opposite direction, the second end of the connecting channel 631 is rotated relative to the first end with the first end as the axis, and is connected to the air outlet channel 62 in sequence. Therefore, by controlling the rotation of the mover 63, the air inlet channel 61 can be connected to multiple air outlet channels 62 in sequence.

[0091] It should be noted that when it is necessary to switch the optical sensor 80, the rotation angle of the mover 63 between the air intake channel 61 and the air outlet channel 62 can be controlled so that the air intake channel 61 and the air outlet channel 62 that needs to be connected can be connected through the mover 63, thereby realizing the switching of the optical sensor 80 that needs to be connected.

[0092] The multi-channel switching device 60 includes a control board, and the mover 63 may be, but is not limited to, a motor mover or other electrically controllable structural components. In this embodiment, the mover 63 is a motor mover. The control board is electrically connected to the motor mover and is configured to control the rotation of the motor mover. In this way, the control board can automatically switch between multiple air outlet channels 62 within the multi-channel switching device 60 by controlling the rotation of the motor mover.

[0093] For example, the multi-channel switching device 60 may include, but is not limited to, a multi-channel switching valve. In this embodiment, the structure of the multi-channel switching valve is not further limited; for details, please refer to the relevant structures of multi-channel switching valves in the prior art.

[0094] It should be noted that in the embodiment, the multi-channel switching device 60 can also use other multi-channel switching devices having one inlet channel 61 and multiple outlet channels 62, and at the same time, other multi-channel switching devices only connect the inlet channel 61 and one of the outlet channels 62 through other structural members other than the mover 63. In the embodiment, the structure of the multi-channel switching device 60 is not further limited.

[0095] Referring to Figure 1 As shown, the gas path system 100 can include a connecting pipeline connected between the output end of the plasma generating device 50 and the inlet channel 61. The connecting pipeline can be a straight pipeline. In this way, the output end of the plasma generating device 50 and the inlet channel 61 are connected while the structure of the gas path system 100 is simplified, the occurrence of redundant pipelines and bent pipelines in the gas path system 100 is minimized, and the stability of the gas path system 100 is effectively improved.

[0096] Referring to Figure 1 As shown, the gas path system 100 can include a connecting assembly 70 connected between the mass flow control device 20 and the plasma generating device 50 and between the gas injection device 40 and the plasma generating device 50, so as to connect the mass flow control device 20 and the gas injection device 40 to the plasma generating device 50 through the connecting assembly 70, so that the test gas and the carrier gas can be mixed to form a mixed gas in the connecting assembly 70, and then the mixed gas can enter the plasma generating device 50 to activate the VOC and oxygen in the mixed gas in the plasma generating device 50.

[0097] As shown in Figure 1 The connecting assembly 70 can include a first connecting member 71, a second connecting member 72, a third connecting member 73, and a connecting valve 74. The first connecting member 71 is connected to the output end of the mass flow control device 20, the second connecting member 72 is connected to the injection outlet 42, the third connecting member 73 is connected to the input end of the plasma generating device 50, and the connecting valve 74 is located between the first connecting member 71, the second connecting member 72, and the third connecting member 73 to connect the first connecting member 71, the second connecting member 72, and the third connecting member 73. The connecting valve 74 can include but is not limited to a three-way valve, and the first connecting member 71, the second connecting member 72, and the third connecting member 73 can each include but is not limited to a connecting pipeline.

[0098] To avoid the water in the carrier gas affecting the detection of the VOC components in the breath gas, the gas path system 100 can further comprise a drying device 30 connected between the carrier gas source 10 and the mass flow control device 20. Exemplarily, the drying device 30 can comprise, but is not limited to, a desiccator. In this way, when the carrier gas of the carrier gas source 10 enters the drying device 30, the water in the carrier gas can be absorbed by the drying device 30, and the carrier gas after being dried is called dried carrier gas. The dried carrier gas flows through the mass flow control device 20 along the gas path system 100, so that the mass flow control device 20 outputs the dried carrier gas with stable mass flow to the communication valve 74 of the communication assembly 70. After mixing with the gas to be detected to form a mixed gas, the mixed gas enters the plasma generating device 50, the multi-channel switching device 60 and the optical sensor 80 along the gas path system 100 in sequence.

[0099] Reference Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the gas path system 100 can further comprise an exhaust pipeline 90, and the gas outlets 82 of the plurality of optical sensors 80 are connected in parallel on the exhaust pipeline 90, so that the gas passing through the optical sensors 80 can be discharged as waste gas from the gas path system 100 of the photoelectric nose.

[0100] During the test, on the one hand, the carrier gas such as air provided by the carrier gas source 10 enters the drying device 30 and the mass flow control device 20 in sequence, and the dried carrier gas with stable mass flow is output by the mass flow control device 20. On the other hand, the gas injection device 40 injects the gas to be detected such as breath gas in the storage container 300 into the gas path system 100, so that the breath gas and the carrier gas are mixed at the communication valve 74 to form a mixed gas. The mixed gas flows through the plasma generating device 50 to be activated, and then flows into the optical sensor 80 under test through the multi-channel switching device 60, and reacts on the surface of the detection core 83 in the optical sensor 80. Finally, the mixed gas after the reaction is discharged as waste gas from the gas path system 100 through the exhaust pipeline 90.

[0101] Figure 3 It is a control principle diagram of a photoelectric nose provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0102] On the basis of the above embodiment, reference Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the photoelectric nose provided by the embodiment of the present application further comprises a control unit 200 and the above-mentioned gas path system 100 of the photoelectric nose, and the control unit 200 can be electrically connected to the multi-channel switching device 60, the plasma generating device 50, the gas injection device 40 and the mass flow control device 20 in the gas path system 100 as an external device. In this way, the stable control of each element in the gas path system 100 can be ensured, and the signal stability of the photoelectric nose reaction test can be ensured.

[0103] The control unit 200 can be, for example, but not limited to, a single-chip microcomputer. The control unit 200 can control and send control instructions to the multi-channel switching device 60, the plasma generating device 50, the gas injection device 40, and the mass flow control device 20. Specifically, the control unit 200 can send injection speed settings, injection amount settings, automatic injection, and the like to the circuit board of the gas injection device 40. The control unit 200 can also send mass flow settings, mass flow inquiries, and the like to the circuit board of the mass flow control device 20. The control unit 200 can also send instructions to switch the plurality of gas outlet channels 62 to the multi-channel switching device 60, so as to switch the plurality of light sensors 80. The control unit 200 can also send switching instructions to the plasma generating device 50, so as to activate the mixed gas by the plasma generating device 50.

[0104] Therefore, in the embodiment, the control unit 200 can precisely control the multi-channel switching device 60, the plasma generating device 50, the gas injection device 40, and the mass flow control device 20 in the gas path system, so as to ensure the stability of the signal of the photoelectric nose reaction test.

[0105] It should be noted that the photoelectric nose can also include a micro-light detector configured to detect the light emission amount of the light sensor 80 connected to the plasma generating device 50, so as to realize qualitative and quantitative testing of the VOC components in the test gas, such as the breath gas, by the photoelectric nose.

[0106] The gas path system 100 of the photoelectric nose and the photoelectric nose can simplify the structure of the gas path system 100 to the greatest extent, improve the stability of the gas path system 100, and facilitate the control and maintenance of the gas path system 100. The mass flow control device 20 can control the mass flow of the carrier gas in the carrier gas source, so as to maintain a relatively stable reaction condition, and further improve the stability of the gas path system 100.

[0107] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the present application.

[0108] In the description of the application, it is to be understood that the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof used herein are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, for example, a process, method, display structure, product or device including a series of steps or units does not have to be limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but can include other steps or units not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0109] Unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connecting", "connecting", "fixing" and the like should be understood broadly, for example, can be fixed connection, can also be detachable connection, or become one; can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; can make two elements inside the communication or the interaction relationship of two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances. In addition, the terms "first", "second" and the like are only for the purpose of description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features.

[0110] Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, and not to limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that: it can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or make equivalent replacement for part or all of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. An airway system for a photoelectronic nose, characterized in that, The device includes a carrier gas source, a mass flow control device, a drying device, a gas injection device, and a plasma generator. The drying device is connected between the carrier gas source and the mass flow control device. The gas injection device has an injection inlet and an injection outlet. The injection inlet is connected to a storage container containing the gas to be tested. The output end of the carrier gas source is connected to the input end of the mass flow control device. The output end of the mass flow control device and the injection outlet are both connected to the input end of the plasma generator. The output end of the plasma generator is sequentially connected to a multi-channel switching device and a photosensitive sensor group. The photosensitive sensor group includes multiple photosensitive sensors connected in parallel. The photosensitive sensor is configured to catalyze the reaction between the volatile organic compounds in the test gas and the carrier gas input from the carrier gas source into the drying device; the multi-channel switching device is connected between the plasma generator and the photosensitive sensor, and is configured to connect the output of the plasma generator to one of the photosensitive sensors; the plasma generator is configured to activate the mixed gas formed by the volatile organic compounds in the test gas and the carrier gas input from the carrier gas source into the drying device; The multi-channel switching device includes a fixed valve and a moving element. The fixed valve has an air inlet channel and multiple air outlet channels. The air outlet channels correspond one-to-one with the optical sensors and are interconnected. The moving element has a connecting channel and is rotatably disposed between the air inlet channel and the air outlet channel so that the connecting channel connects the air inlet channel and one of the air outlet channels. The first end of the connecting channel is connected to the air intake channel, and the second end of the connecting channel is connected to one of the air outlet channels. The second end is rotatably arranged relative to the first end with the first end as the axis.

2. The gas path system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-channel switching device has a control board, and the mover is a motor mover; the control board is electrically connected to the motor mover and is configured to control the rotation of the motor mover.

3. The gas path system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It includes a connecting pipe that connects the output end of the plasma generator to the air inlet channel.

4. The gas path system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The optical sensor has an air inlet, an air outlet, and a detection core. The air inlet is connected to the air outlet channel, and the air outlet is positioned opposite to the air inlet. The detection core is located between the air inlet and the air outlet and is configured to catalyze the reaction of the volatile organic compounds with the carrier gas in the carrier gas source.

5. The gas path system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas injection device includes a syringe chamber, an injection valve body, and an injection valve body. The injection inlet and the injection outlet are both connected to the syringe chamber, and the syringe chamber is connected to the storage container through the injection inlet. The injection valve body is located at the injection inlet, and the injection valve body is located at the injection outlet.

6. The pneumatic system according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, It includes a connecting component that connects the mass flow control device to the plasma generator and the gas injection device to the plasma generator.

7. A photoelectronic nose, characterized in that, The device includes a control unit and a pneumatic system for the photoelectric nose as described in any one of claims 1-6, wherein the control unit is electrically connected to a multi-channel switching device, a plasma generator, a gas injection device, and a mass flow control device in the pneumatic system of the photoelectric nose.

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