WO2013096298A1

WO2013096298A1 - Fragrance cartridge for a digital odor generator

Info

Publication number: WO2013096298A1
Application number: PCT/US2012/070325
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dominick Daniel Martino
Original assignee: Doty, Richard L.
Priority date: 2011-12-19
Filing date: 2012-12-18
Publication date: 2013-06-27

Abstract

A fragrance cartridge for use with a digital odor generator includes a two part cylindrical metal housing having an outer cylindrical surface and an inner cavity capable of containing an odorant. The two parts are removably secured together in order to gain access to the inner cavity. The housing has an opening adjacent each end, with each opening being in communications with the inner cavity. Air can pass through one of the openings into the cavity to mix with the odorant and can then exit the cavity through the other opening. The outer surface includes two circular grooves and an O-ring is located in each groove. A one-way valve is located adjacent each end of the cavity. One of the valves allows air to pass into the cavity from a first end and the other valve allows air to pass out of the cavity from the second end.

Description

FRAGRANCE CARTRIDGE FOR A DIGITAL ODOR GENERATOR

Technical Field

The present invention is directed toward a fragrance cartridge for a digital odor generator or olfactometer used to administer various odors alone or in various combinations to a patient or subject. One such digital odor generator with which the present invention can be used is described in pending U.S.

Patent Application No. 12/799,034 filed April 16, 2010, the entire disclosure thereof is incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

The ability to smell various odors and to distinguish odors from each other is obviously important in our every day lives. The sense of smell, which largely influences the flavor of foods, is associated with emotion, with nutrition, with quality of life, and with safety from spoiled foods, leaking natural gas, fire, and other hazardous situations. Loss of smell or the reduced ability to smell, therefore, can significantly impact everyday life. People who lose the sense of smell have major elements of their lives compromised and often become psychologically depressed.

Quantitative tests of the sense of smell can be useful as diagnostic tools. The measurement of olfactory thresholds, for example, is beneficial in the early detection and management of a number of diseases and disorders.

Among these are damage to the olfactory system, such as the olfactory nerves or olfactory bulb, by head trauma, neurodegenerative diseases such as

Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, acute viral and/or bacterial infections, exposure to toxic fumes and chemicals, side-effects from radiation therapy to the head, and others.

A medical diagnostic instrument that can measure olfactory thresholds and other indices of olfactory function in an accurate manner, quickly and at a relatively low cost, would therefore be beneficial. Such an instrument could be used not only as a one time evaluation of a patient, but it could be used to trace a patient's progress over time to monitor for onset of a particular occurrence.

The measurement of olfactory function has been accomplished by various means. One method is by using scratch-and-sniff pads where the test operator scratches the surface to expose the odor, puts it up to the patient's nose, and asks for a response. Another test method is using squeeze-bottle or sniff bottle smell test kits. In the case of threshold testing, a series of bottles with increasing concentration of vapors is used. In most such methods the manner of stimulus presentation, which can be influenced by the test

administrator, as well as the freshness of the samples, are critical factors in the test results. Obtaining good quantitative test results is frequently difficult with these methods. Another method is the use of a large research-type

olfactometer. The disadvantage to this method is that the test is slow and the cost of the instrument is very high. Furthermore, the test must be administered by a trained professional.

Smaller olfactometers have been proposed and are described in various patent documents. For example, the following U.S. Patents have issued for alleged improvements to olfactometers: 4,265,248 to Chuiton et al.;

5,565,148 to Pento Fadergrass, Jr.; 6,390,453 and 6,672,129 to Frederickson et al. and 7,152,758 to Fazzio et al. To applicant's knowledge, none of these devices have ever been commercialized. They would appear to be either too complicated, ineffective or too expensive to produce.

Applicant is also aware of an olfactometer that has become commercially available from Osmic Enterprises, Inc. of Cincinnati, Ohio, and that is alleged to be useful for assessing odor threshold, identification, discrimination, and memory. The number of odors available is limited and its design makes it difficult to change or add odors, thereby requiring that the entire machine be returned to the manufacturer if such changes need to be made. The unit also has to be returned to the manufacturer every six months for recharging. Even further, the unit utilizes a single dispensing nozzle which could cause cross contamination and thereby decrease the accuracy of the tests. This device is unable to present combinations of odors to the subject to determine how mixtures influence the overall smell sensation.

The olfactometer or odor generator described in the above mentioned U.S. Patent Application No. 12/799,034, solves many of the problems associated with other prior art devices in that it is easy and convenient to use and maintain; it can present more than one odorant stimulus in a mixture at a time; it allows for the rapid changing of sets of odorants between subjects or patients; it can accurately present smell stimuli to subjects, and it can be used to administer smell tests remotely over the Internet or other network and

subsequently collect the results and tabulate data over the Internet.

It has been found, however, that the fragrance cartridge or odor cylinder described in the above patent application is not as adequate as it could be. Because the cylinders used as the fragrance cartridges as described in that application are open at each of the ends, it is difficult to maintain the odorant particles therein as the cartridges are being inserted into the chamber.

Furthermore, because the cylinders are open at each end, air can pass easily into and out of the cylinders mixing with other odors. The prior cylinders were also preferably made of a porous polyethylene plastic that absorbed the odors. Thus, the cartridges had to be used with the same odor each time or disposed of.

There is, therefore, a need for an improved fragrance cartridge that can be more easily refilled and handled and that does not suffer from the above problems. T U 2012/070325

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Disclosure of the Invention

The present invention is designed to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art discussed above. Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a fragrance cartridge for use with a digital odor generator that can be easily removed and replaced.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a fragrance cartridge for a digital odor generator that can be easily refilled and reused.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a fragrance cartridge for a digital odor generator that is capable of effectively isolating the odor contained therein from other odors contained in other cartridges.

In accordance with the illustrative embodiments demonstrating features and advantages of the present invention, there is provided a fragrance cartridge for use with a digital odor generator that includes a two part cylindrical metal housing having an outer cylindrical surface and an inner cavity capable of containing an odorant therein. The two parts are removable secured together in order to gain access to the inner cavity to place an odorant therein or to remove an odorant therefrom. The housing has an opening adjacent each end thereof with each opening being in communications with the inner cavity. As a result, air can pass through one of the openings into the cavity to mix with the odorant and can then exit the cavity through the other opening. The outer surface includes a circular groove adjacent each end thereof and an O-ring is located in each groove. A one-way valve is located adjacent each end of the cavity. One of the valves allows air to pass into the cavity from a first end and the other valve allows air to pass out of the cavity from the second end.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred

embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the drawings. Brief Description of the Drawings

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the accompanying drawings one form which is presently preferred; it being understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

Figure 1 is a view of a completed fragrance cartridge for use with a digital odor generator of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the fragrance cartridge shown in Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is an end view of a portion of the fragrance cartridge shown in Figure 2 and showing the inner cavity thereof, and

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken through the line 4-4 of

Figure 1.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference numerals have been used throughout the various figures to designate like elements, there is shown in Figures 1 - 4 a fragrance cartridge for use with a digital odor generator or olfactometer constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and designated generally as 10. The fragrance cartridge 10 is comprised essentially of a cylindrically shaped metal housing 12 having an outer cylindrical surface 14 and an inner cavity 16. The inner cavity 16 is capable of containing an odorant such as the odor-containing beads 18 shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Preferably, the cylinder 12 is comprised of a first cylindrically shaped part 20 and a second cylindrically shaped part 22. The second part 22 includes an external thread 24 thereon while the first part 22 includes a complementary internal thread 26. A gasket 28 made of rubber or the like insures that the two parts seal together when they are assembled. 2 070325

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The first cylindrically shaped part 20 includes a circular groove 30 formed in the outer surface adjacent one end thereof. A similar groove 32 is formed in the second part 22. A circular O-ring 34 fits into the groove 30 and, similarly, an O-ring 36 fits into the ring 32.

A one-way valve 38 is secured to the open end of the second cylindrically shaped part 22 for threading the same into the open end thereof. The one-way valve 38 allows air to pass from the exterior through the valve to the air cavity 16. Because of the valve 38, however, air cannot pass in the reverse direction. Similarly, one-way valve 40 is threaded into the open end of the first cylindrically shaped part 20. The one-way valve 40 allows air to pass out of the inner cavity 16 but does not allow air to blow backward into the cavity. Thus, as shown in the figures, air can pass from left to right through the one-way valve 38 into the inner cavity 16 to mix with the odorant 18 and then passes out through the one-way valve 40. Air cannot, however, pass in the reverse direction. The one-way valves 38 and 40 can be of any conventional type such as a spring biased valve, a spring biased popped-type valve or a duck bill valve or the like.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention. Furthermore, while the invention has particular applicability to the olfactometer or odor generator described in the above mentioned U.S. Patent Application No. 12/799,034, it is not limited thereto. The fragrance cartridges of the present invention may be used in, or be adapted for use in, other odor generators and similar devices.

Claims

1 . A fragrance cartridge for use with a digital odor generator comprising: a cylindrical metal housing having an outer cylindrical surface and an inner cavity capable of containing an odorant therein, said housing including a means for gaining access to said inner cavity to place an odorant therein or to remove an odorant therefrom;

said housing having an opening adjacent each end thereof, each opening being in communications with said inner cavity, whereby air can pass through one of said openings into said cavity to mix with said odorant and can then pass out of said cavity through said other opening, and

a pair of O-rings carried on the outer cylindrical surface of said housing, one of said O-rings being located adjacent one end of said housing and the other of said O-rings being located adjacent the other end thereof.

2. The fragrance cartridge for use with a digital odor generator as claimed in Claim 1 further including a one-way valve located adjacent one end of said cavity, said one-way valve allowing air to pass only into said cavity from said end.

3. The fragrance cartridge for use with a digital odor generator as claimed in Claim 1 further including a one-way valve located adjacent one end of said cavity, said one-way valve allowing air to pass only out of said cavity from said end.

4. The fragrance cartridge for use with a digital odor generator as claimed in Claim 1 further including a one-way valve located adjacent each end of said cavity, one of said one-way valves allowing air to pass only into said cavity from a first end of said cavity and the other of said one-way valves allowing air to pass only out of said cavity from said second end of said cavity.

5. The fragrance cartridge for use with a digital odor generator as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said outer surface of said cylinder includes a circular groove adjacent each end thereof and wherein said O-rings are located in said grooves.

6. The fragrance cartridge for use with a digital odor generator as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said cylinder is comprised of first and second cylindrically shaped parts that can be removable secured together.