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Technology

VOCID®

VOCID® is the technology behind NanoScent’s ‘gas profiling’ solution, standing for volatile organic compound (VOC) identification. The technology behind VOCID® has 17 patents and allows for the flexibility of applications, applying a digitizing monitor solution for various use cases like detecting moisture and oxygen in the hydrogen supply or measuring odorants in the methane supply. By applying VOCID across multiple points across the gas supply, users can benefit from a digitized monitoring tool that can improve their quality and process control operations.

Versatile Core NanoTechnology

NanoScent sensors magnified demonstrating the nanotechnology for detecting hydrogen purity and methane odours.

The Nanoscent sensor has 12 sensing elements each on a different square, as shown in the first picture. The middle image shows a single magnified sensing element at a scale of 100 micrometers. The third image shows the sensor’s “sponge” structure, captured by a 3D SEM image of the sensing element. This structure allows the sensor to semi-selectively absorb gasses and VOCs and release them back upon vacuum or heating.

 

Each sensing element is sensitive to a specific chemical family of VOCs and gases (after reviewing the patents you can understand a bit more how we get the selectivity). The sensing element is a chemical resistor made of nanoparticles coated with an organic layer. The organic layer can be customized for different target analytes according to your business needs, allowing you to monitor multiple gasses with a single solution. Because of its nature, the sensor is flexible for being applied to various solutions. 

 

The sensing element is not particularly specific to any volatile organic compound, so each sensor responds differently to a variety of different organic compounds, thus it has the following characteristics:​

  • The physical-chemical nature of the volatile organic compound and the similarity or identity with the physical-chemical nature of the organic layer in the sensing element determines the intensity of the sensor's response.

  • The use of a sensor array that includes various sensing elements with different physical-chemical nature leads to a unique response pattern resulting from exposure to volatile organic compounds or to a smell (mixture) even when the background is unknown.

  • Using unique response patterns with machine learning algorithms allows for high certainty separation between volatile organic substances and various odors.

Validation / Standardisation: Lab Infrastructure

Lab Infrastructure - NanoScent.png

NanoScent is amongst the only companies that develop, test and validate its technology under hydrogen, performing hundreds of tests simulating real-life conditions of moisture contamination in hydrogen.

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The webinar below explains more about how we validate and develop VOCID® technology and concludes with a tour of our labs:

Patents

The information shared above is published in greater detail in our patents.

  • US20210262965A1: Particles for chemiresistor sensor

  • US20210231627A1: Sensing element for chemiresistor sensor and method of making same

  • WO2020240556A1: Method and device for identifying volatile compounds

  • WO2021111435A1: Use of a chemiresistor sensor for improving health

  • WO2021079366A1: System and method for providing and detecting volatile compounds (vcs), from liquids

  • WO2021161313A1: System and method for collecting and sensing volatile compounds

  • US20210065901A1: System and method of determining a condition of a subject based on volatile organic compounds

patents
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