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A composite sensor array impedentiometric electronic tongue Part II. Discrimination of basic tastes
G Pioggia1, F Di Francesco, A Marchetti
1Interdepartmental Research Center "E. Piaggio", Faculty of Engineering, University of Pisa, Italy. giovanni.pioggia@ing.unipi.it <giovanni.pioggia@ing.unipi.it>
Biosensors & Bioelectronics
|December 16, 2006
Summary
This study presents an electronic tongue using a composite sensor array and chemometric analysis to distinguish between soluble compounds that create different tastes. The system achieved good discrimination for salty, sour, sweet, umami, and bitter solutions.
Area of Science:
- * Sensor technology
- * Analytical chemistry
- * Chemometrics
Background:
- * Electronic tongues (e-tongues) offer a promising approach for taste sensing.
- * Developing robust sensor arrays and effective data analysis is crucial for e-tongue performance.
- * Composite materials offer tunable properties for chemosensory applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To develop and evaluate an impedentiometric electronic tongue for discriminating soluble compounds.
- * To assess the efficacy of a composite sensor array combined with chemometric techniques.
- * To analyze the gustatory perceptions of various taste solutions.
Main Methods:
- * Fabrication of a composite sensor array using carbon nanotubes/black and doped polythiophenes.
- * Impedance measurements at 150 Hz using an impedance meter.
- * Automated sample selection and sensor dipping protocol.
- * Chemometric analysis including Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for outlier detection and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) for classification.
- * Testing with 15 solutions across 5 taste categories (salty, sour, sweet, umami, bitter) at 3 concentration levels.
Main Results:
- * The electronic tongue system demonstrated a fairly good degree of discrimination among the tested taste solutions.
- * PCA effectively identified and removed outliers, improving data reliability.
- * LDA successfully classified the different taste profiles based on impedance data.
- * Robust measurements were obtained over a 4-month period with over 100 repetitions per sample.
Conclusions:
- * The developed impedentiometric electronic tongue, utilizing a composite sensor array and chemometrics, is effective for taste discrimination.
- * The combination of advanced sensor materials and sophisticated data analysis provides a viable platform for artificial taste sensing.
- * Further optimization could enhance the discrimination capabilities for a wider range of gustatory stimuli.
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