In this master’s thesis, we focus on the development and application of electronic
noses, which serve as imitations of olfactory systems. In the first part of the thesis,
we examine the motivations for using electronic noses, whose detection is based
on the absorption of volatile organic molecules on the surface of sensors. We then
examine in detail the operation of a specific electronic nose on which the measurements
presented in this thesis were performed. As part of the thesis, we focus on
testing the sensitivity of the sensors to biological samples, analyzing exhaled air
both on an empty stomach and after smoking. Prior to this, we test the system’s
operational suitability based on measurements of distilled water. The objective of
the project is to verify whether the system can distinguish between distilled water
and human exhaled breath, and subsequently between different types of exhaled
breath. We analyze the results statistically by performing Welch’s ANOVA based
on the average measurement values, which will tell us whether the sample averages
for each sensor differ or not. We then also verify the separation of the samples using
principal component analysis (PCA).
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