Method of detecting smell of a vapor and producing a unique visual representation thereof

In the art of gas chromatography, a method of detecting the smell of an odor that contains a plurality of chemical analytes, and providing a visual representation of its odor characteristics that can be uniquely and readily identified by humans, comprising the steps of:

• a. supplying a carrier gas vehicle having a collection of the vapor desorbed therein to a gas chromatographic column so as to separate the chemical vapor analytes in time as they exit the chromatography column.;
• b. during a predetermined analysis period, applying the effluent vapor from the chromatographic column to a physical device that is capable of changing one of its physical characteristics so as to detect and quantify the amounts of material exiting the chromatography column;
• c. also during the analysis period, repetitively interrogating the physical device to observe the changes occurring in that characteristic;
• and
• d. then applying signals representing the observed changes occurring in that physical characteristic to a display device to produce a polar representation in which a complete rotation corresponds to the difference in time between the beginning and ending of the analysis period, such that the data points on the display device are separated by angles proportional to the time differences between data points;
• thereby producing a closed-image visual pattern which is distinctly indicative of the odor of the vapor.

A method of visibly displaying information that is received as a time-varying parameter occurring throughout a predetermined time period, so as to create a closed-figure image for the purpose of pattern recognition, comprising the steps of:

• a. measuring the parameter at spaced time intervals to produce a time sequence of spaced samples;
• b. establishing a substantially circular display area, having a defined center, within which to display the information;
• c. allocating each sample to a different circumferential position within the display area such that the sample positions are angularly separated in accordance with their respective time spacings and the 360 degree circumference of the display area conforms precisely to the predetermined time period;
• d. for each corresponding different circumferential position in the display area, creating a data point whose radial distance from the center of the display area is proportional to the value of the corresponding sample;
• and
• e. then visibly displaying not only the data points themselves, but also lines that interconnect adjacent data points, including interconnecting the first and last data points, so as to create the closed-figure image.