Patent ID: 8256264

Claim:
A method for detecting the composition of an unknown gas mixture (M inc ) through an electronic nose ( 2 ) equipped with a measuring chamber ( 3 ) that houses at least one sensor, comprising the steps of: calibrating the at least one sensor by feeding a known gas mixture (M n ) into the measuring chamber ( 3 ); feeding the unknown gas mixture (M inc ) into the chamber ( 3 ), while keeping the unknown gas mixture (M inc ) in a predetermined desired state; detecting the composition of the unknown gas mixture (M inc ) by means of the at least one sensor, wherein the method further comprises steps of mixing the unknown gas mixture (M inc ) with a cleaning gas mixture (M p ) to form a sample gas mixture (M camp ) and regulating the state of the cleaning gas mixture (M p ) in order to keep the sample gas mixture (M camp ) and hence the unknown gas mixture (M inc ) in the predetermined desired state, in such a way as to keep the humidity of the sample gas mixture M camp , and hence of the unknown gas mixture M inc constant, and wherein the method further comprises a step of making the cleaning gas mixture (M p ) flow through a catalyser ( 16 ) before mixing the cleaning gas mixture (M p )with the unknown gas mixture (M inc ).