Colorimetric artificial nose having an array of dyes and method for artificial olfaction

A method of detecting at least one unknown parent analyte comprising the steps of

• (a) forming an array by depositing at least a first dye and a second dye directly onto a single support in a predetermined pattern combination, the combination of dyes in the array having a distinct and direct spectral absorbance or reflectance response to distinct analytes comprising one or more parent analytes or their derivatives,
• (b) partially oxidizing at least one known parent analyte pursuant to a certain protocol to form at least one derivative analyte corresponding to said known parent analyte,
• (c) subjecting the array to the at least one derivative analyte corresponding to said known parent analyte,
• (d) inspecting the array for a direct and distinct spectral response to the derivative analyte corresponding to said known analyte,
• (e) forming an array identical to the array formed in step (a) by repeating step (a) or returning the array in step (a) to its condition prior to step (c),
• (f) partially oxidizing at least one unknown parent analyte pursuant to the certain protocol to form at least one derivative analyte corresponding to said unknown parent analyte,
• (g) subjecting the array formed in step (e) to the at least one derivative analyte corresponding to said unknown parent analyte,
• (h) inspecting the array after step (g) for a direct and distinct spectral response to the derivative analyte corresponding to said unknown parent analyte, and
• (i) determining after step (h) whether the direct and distinct spectral response of the array to the derivative analyte corresponding to the unknown parent analyte matches the direct and distinct spectral response of the array to the derivative analyte corresponding to the known parent analyte in step (d).

A method of making a table of responses of an array to a plurality of distinct analytes comprising the steps of

• (a) forming an array by depositing at least a first die and a second dye directly onto a single support in a predetermined pattern combination, the combination of dyes in the array having a distinct and direct spectral absorbance or reflectance response to distinct analytes comprising one or more parent analytes or their derivatives,
• (b) subjecting the array to at least one known parent analyte,
• (c) inspecting the distinct and direct absorbance or reflectance response that exists of the array to the known parent analyte,
• (d) if no distinct and direct absorbance or reflectance response exists of the array to the at least one known parent analyte, then partially oxidizing the at least one known parent analyte pursuant to a certain protocol to form at least one derivative analyte corresponding to said known parent analyte,
• (e) subjecting the array to the at least one derivative analyte corresponding to said known parent analyte,
• (f) inspecting the array for a direct and distinct spectral response to the derivative analyte corresponding to said known analyte,
• (g) forming an array identical to the array formed in step (a) by repeating step (a) or returning the array in step (a) to its condition prior to step (b),
• (h) subjecting the array formed in step (g) to at least one unknown parent analyte to determine whether the array has a response sufficient to detect the unknown parent analyte,
• (i) if after step (h) the array has a response sufficient to detect the unknown parent analyte, then determining whether the response matches the response of a known patent analyte in step (c),
• (j) if after step (h) the array does not have a response sufficient to detect the unknown parent analyte, then partially oxidizing the at least one unknown parent analyte pursuant to the certain protocol to form at least one derivative analyte corresponding to said unknown parent analyte,
• (k) subjecting the array after step 0) to the at least one derivative analyte corresponding to said unknown parent analyte,
• (l) inspecting the array after step (k) for a direct and distinct spectral response corresponding to the derivative analyte corresponding to said unknown parent analyte, and
• (m) determining after step (1) whether the direct and distinct spectral response of the array to the derivative analyte corresponding to the unknown parent analyte matches the direct and distinct spectral response of the array to the derivative analyte corresponding to the known parent analyte in step (f).