20130061692 | ELECTRONIC NOSE APPARATUS - A pumpless electronic nose sensing apparatus includes a cavity for holding a volume of the sample to be tested, and a port disposed on an outer wall of the cavity for enabling transfer of the sample into the cavity. A precise, controllable air current assembly is operatively connected to the cavity for producing an air flow within the cavity for uniformly distributing the sample. The air current assembly is expansible, and by axial expansion and contraction of the air current assembly in response to a load applied to an axial end thereof an air flow is created within the cavity. An at least one sensor array disposed within the cavity is used to test the sample and produce an output. By operative association with the expandable air current assembly, the cavity itself is indirectly expandable (and contractible) in response to the expansion and contraction action of the air current assembly. | 03-14-2013 |