Electronic Tongue: New Tool for Food Analysis Based a PSoC (Programmable System-on-Chip) Technology

Alvaro Angel Arrieta Almario,Oscar Camilo Fuentes Amin

doi:10.19026/ajfst.12.3318

Abstract

The aim of this study is to show the development of a signals processing system on a single chip, based on PSoC technology, as stage of a portable electronic tongue, with the aim to discriminate samples of some substances according to their taste properties. The system applies a technique called cyclic voltammetry in order to obtain signals from a substance through of an electrochemical sensors array, these signals are processed and transmitted via bluetooth to a Smartphone with Android operating systems, where it is possible to look the behavior of the electrochemical sensors array front the analyzed substances. The cyclic voltammetry was applied to samples of saccharose and milk, using an electrochemical measurement device and the prototype developed; it was possible to check that both devices described the same behavior of the samples. On the other hand, the system was confronted with samples of milk, lactic acid and saccharose, where was possible to note the capability of this system to offer single response in front of different substances, which is a vital result thereof when discriminating a liquid substance according its flavor.

Highlights

One of the most rigorous methods to evaluate some properties of foodstuff is through a tasting panel; this is a group of people capable to examine the taste characteristic known as organoleptic (Lindemann, 1996)
Signals are obtained by an electrochemical technique called cyclic voltammetry, which provides a potential ramp and registers the current flowing through the electrochemical sensors, the curve current (I) vs potential (V) is known as voltammogram, which is an unique pattern according to the taste characteristics of sampling substance
This study shows the development of a bio-inspired device based on taste human system, which comprise an electrochemical sensors array, an electronic circuit of signal treatment configured on a single chip PSoC 5LP and an Android application capable to connect with the electronic circuit via bluetooth, in order to show the voltammogram obtained from different liquid samples and to observe the behavior of developed system according them taste characteristics

Summary

Introduction

One of the most rigorous methods to evaluate some properties of foodstuff is through a tasting panel; this is a group of people capable to examine the taste characteristic known as organoleptic (Lindemann, 1996). To apply cyclic voltammetry technique it is necessary the use of an electrochemical measurement device known as potentiostat, but this device can not to carry out in field, which is necessary in the dairy sector, considering that in the dairy sector, according to the Colombian decree 616 of 2006 (Ministerio de la Protección Social, 2006), during the collection it is really necessary to make a physicochemical and organoleptic inspection of raw milk In this respect Android and PSoC technologies are important tools to develop a portable electronic tongue capable to apply the cyclic voltammetry and processing the data obtained in field. PSoC (Programmable System on Chip) is a family of microcontroller composed of programmable analog and digital electronic blocks, the structure of a PSoC chips provides the flexibility that separates the PSoC family from other microcontrollers and it is used to make analog signal treatment according its characteristics

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