Method for calibrating a sensor for measuring concentration of odors

A calibration method for calibration of an electronic chemical sensor for measuring concentration of odors in air, comprising:

• providing an electronic chemical sensor capable of generating a signal responsive to an amount of an odor producing material;
• providing a support structure having a target medium, wherein the target medium comprises a heated target surface;
• providing a printhead having at least one fluid ejection device having an orifice and being capable of ejecting microdroplets of calibration fluid at a controlled known rate;
• ejecting a plurality of successive microdroplets of the calibration fluid on to the heated target surface thereby volatilizing the microdroplets to generate a calibration gas of a known first concentration;
• and
• exposing the electronic chemical sensor to the calibration gas of the known first concentration to obtain a sensor calibration signal representative of the known first concentration.

A method to correct the measurement of an electronic chemical sensor used for measuring concentration of odors in air comprising;

• providing a plurality of electronic chemical sensors capable of generating a signal response to an amount of an odor producing material vapor, including at least a first sensor and a second sensor responsive respectively to a first and a second odor producing material vapor;
• providing a support structure having a target medium, wherein the target medium comprises a first and a second heated surface;
• providing a printhead having a plurality of fluid ejection devices each having an orifice and fluid reservoir and being capable of ejecting microdroplets of calibration fluid at a controlled known rate, including at least a first ejection device having a first reservoir and a second ejection device having a second reservoir wherein the first and second reservoirs, respectively, contain a first and a second calibration fluid;
• ejecting a plurality of successive microdroplets of the first calibration fluid from the first ejection device on to the first heated target surface and ejecting a plurality of successive microdroplets of the second calibration fluid from the second ejection device on to the second heated target surface thereby volatilizing the microdroplets to generate a first mixed calibration gas of the known first and second calibration fluid vapor concentrations;
• exposing the plurality of electronic sensors to the mixed calibration gas;
• establishing a baseline response of the at least first and second electronic chemical sensors to the mixed calibration gas of the first and second calibration vapor concentrations;
• exposing the plurality of electronic sensors to air containing an unknown mixed concentration of components of odor producing material and establishing a value for at least one component of the unknown mixed concentration of odor producing material;
• and
• adjusting the value for the at least one component of the unknown mixed concentration by reference to the baseline response to the calibration gas to produce a corrected result.