| Principle |
Measurement of mass-to-charge ratio of ionized molecules |
Pattern recognition of global response from a sensor array |
Computational modeling linking molecular structure to perceptual odor |
| Key advantages |
High sensitivity & accuracy; unambiguous compound identification |
Rapid, portable, real-time operation; cost-effective |
No physical sample needed; predicts odor of novel molecules |
| Major limitations |
Expensive, non-portable; requires skilled operation; poor real-time capability |
Lower sensitivity/selectivity vs. MS; susceptible to environmental interference |
Limited accuracy for complex mixtures; primarily theoretical |
| Suitable applications |
Laboratory-based analysis; flavoromics; biomarker discovery |
Food safety; environmental monitoring; medical diagnostics; quality control |
Fragrance design; theoretical research; drug discovery |
| Cost & complexity |
High |
Low to medium |
Low |
