Olfactory Stimuli Dispenser Synchronizes Release with Inhalation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining emotional responses to olfactory stimuli are flawed due to variations in respiratory cycles, distance from the olfactory stimulus dispenser, and flow rates, leading to inconsistent test results.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a controllable olfactory stimuli dispenser, an olfactory stimuli flow detector, a distance detection device, and an eye tracking device, which synchronizes the release of olfactory stimuli with the inhalation phase of the respiratory cycle, adjusts flow rates based on distance, and accounts for environmental factors to ensure consistent exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If olfactory stimuli are released without synchronizing to respiratory cycles, then the testing process is simple, but test results vary due to inhalation/exhalation phase differences
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses respiratory sensors to continuously monitor the subject's breathing pattern and feeds this information back to the stimulus controller. The controller then synchronizes olfactory stimulus release with the inhalation phase of the respiratory cycle, ensuring consistent and reliable emotional response measurements by accounting for real-time physiological variations.
2Measurement precision
If fixed flow rate is used for olfactory stimulus delivery, then the system is simple to operate, but test results are flawed due to distance variations
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from fixed flow rate to dynamic flow rate control. The stimulus controller continuously adjusts the flow rate of olfactory stimuli based on real-time distance measurements from the subject. This dynamic adjustment compensates for variations in subject position and head orientation, ensuring accurate and precise emotional response measurements.
3Reliability
If distance from dispenser is not monitored, then the testing setup is simple, but test results are inconsistent due to head position variations
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates distance sensors that continuously monitor the distance between the olfactory stimulus dispenser and the subject's nose. This distance information is fed back to the stimulus controller, which adjusts stimulus delivery parameters accordingly. This feedback mechanism compensates for head position variations and maintains consistent test results.
4Measurement precision
If environmental factors are not controlled, then the testing environment is simple, but test results are flawed due to external olfactory interference
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the potentially harmful effect of environmental olfactory interference into a beneficial control parameter. Environmental sensors detect background olfactory conditions, and the stimulus controller adjusts stimulus delivery to compensate for these conditions. This transforms environmental variability from a source of error into a controllable variable, improving measurement precision.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for determining pre-cognitive and/or cognitive emotional response to predetermined olfactory stimuli. Among other things, the invention may include exposing a test subject to a controlled flow of a predetermined olfactory stimulus, measuring eye data (e.g., using an eye tracking device) corresponding to when the olfactory stimulus reached the subject's nose, and analyzing and processing the eye data for determining the subject's emotional response to the olfactory stimulus. In some implementations, the invention may include measuring the test subject's respiratory parameters so as to deliver the predetermined olfactory stimulus at a certain point in the test subjects respiratory cycle.