The idea

The only "chemoselective" sense in humans is the sense of smell. This sense allows us to perceive odors, aromas, and dangerous substances such as hydrogen sulfide. Unfortunately, this sense is underdeveloped in humans compared to animals. From a technological perspective, a sensitive and selective "electronic nose" does not yet exist. This is where the startup Plasmion comes in, which has developed a highly sensitive odor sensor with its patented SICRIT technology, based on mass spectrometry.

In 2016, brothers Jan and Thomas Wolf founded Plasmion GmbH, based in Augsburg, Germany. The product idea originated from the research of founder Dr. Jan-Christoph Wolf at ETH Zurich. His research involved developing a novel ionization technology for mass spectrometry, enabling any standard mass spectrometer to be transformed into a real-time "odor" sensor—essentially an "electronic nose." The sensor allows for the analysis of odors, or more precisely, VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), in ambient air. By holding a coffee bean in front of the measuring device, it can not only display all 300 aroma compounds simultaneously within a fraction of a second, but also determine the concentration of each. This drastically simplifies and improves traditional chemical analysis in laboratory settings, revolutionizing the laboratory market.

Various possible uses

The technology is capable of providing the full range of services of an analytical laboratory in an automated measurement system for industry. For the first time, a wide variety of applications are now possible outside of a laboratory, offering numerous companies diverse possibilities, for example, in odor and quality control in the food industry or in process control for the production of industrial gases. Furthermore, novel security applications in the context of drug or explosives control are also possible. Another application is the diagnosis of diseases through breath analysis. Currently, numerous analytical laboratories, for example in medical, pharmaceutical, or environmental research, are already using the "Plasmion Sensor." "Of course, we don't yet have a finished device for every conceivable application scenario. However, these are developed and built based on our core devices together with and for the customer, in order to offer them the best possible and most cost-effective solution for their application," explains Jan Wolf.