The primary aspect of the Controlled
Odor Mimic
Permeation System (COMPS) is that it provides a field deployable instant and reproducible source of known amounts of target odors. This technology consists of a permeable
polymer container (chosen to suit target
odor and release rate required), stored inside a non-permeable
package. The design allows for the pre-equilibration of the target odors such that the outer surface of the inner
package can saturate with
odor during storage. Removal of the inner item then provides an instant and reproducible source of known target vapor flux. We have successfully demonstrated this technology by placing the target
odor chemicals within permeable membranes such as
low density polyethylene which are then sealed within a non-permeable membranes such as metallized
polyester. This design has multiple advantages including preventing cross
contamination when storing multiple odor targets (5-10 targets are commonly employed) as well as being light-weight disposable, low
unit cost potential, no external power / operating unit / machinery / hardware, simple to use and providing a known reproducible concentration of the target odors to the
detector in the field. The applications of these COMPS include the whole range of biological (e.g.
detector dog) and electronic (e.g. field sensors) detectors with examples such as explosives (e.g. 2-ethyl-1-
hexanol simulating plasticized explosives), drugs (e.g. 3,4-methylenedioxybenzaldehyde simulating ecstasy), human remains (including
dimethyl disulfide and pentanoic acid) and live human scent (including 5-
heptene-2-one and nonanol).