VASOR136 (Volatile Analysis by Specific Olfactory Recognition)

Inscentinel Ltd. is developing unique sensing instruments which utilise trained honeybees (Apis mellifera) to recognise and detect trace vapours. This technology allies the sensitivity of a biological system with the convenience of a machine by translating the response of the bees to a specific odour into a simple electronic result.

The central principles of the detector unit, cassettes of bees and bee holder have been covered in patent filings, some granted other pending.

Our first instrument for trace vapour detection is a hand held device:  the VASOR136. It contains 36 bees and can be used by any operator. Bees are gently restrained in bee holders and loaded into six cassettes. The cassettes slot into the VASOR136 where clean air, filtered by a standard gas mask cartridge, is constantly passed over the bees. On the press of a button a sample is taken that exposes the bees to ambient unfiltered air. If the sample contains the substance the bees are trained to, the odour elicits a Proboscis Extension Reflex response (PER) - the bees stick their tongue out in expectation of food (the bees are trained using classical Pavlovian conditioning). The individual response of all 36 bees is recorded and translated into a simple result and shown on the PDA screen display.

Reasons why the Inscentinel technology is innovative and better than current solutions:

Sensitivity
For most compounds bees are much more sensitive than humans, and our studies indicate that they are at least as good as sniffer dogs. They can for instance detect parts per trillion concentrations of explosive material such as TNT. The exquisite sensitivity of our trained bees has been demonstrated by using the VASOR136 to detect trace vapour from explosive material such as TNT and Semtex1H using honeybees trained to minor (1-2%) volatile explosive taggant components. Our unique approach to training using trace volatile explosive taggants rather than a genuine sample of explosive represents a breakthrough in the ability to identify unknown samples of explosive material.

Versatile modular approach
Most electronic devices in development are highly specific to one or a small group of compounds.  Inscentinel has developed an innovative modular approach to trace vapour detection. The current VASOR136 is designed to hold 36 bees that each act as individual sensors. The bees can be trained in different ways depending on the specific tasks to be performed. All 36 bees can be trained to a single target odour to produce maximum confirmation of a detected target substance. Alternatively, bees can be trained in small groups to detect multiple target substances effectively resulting in a versatile screening system. Detection always relies on a statistical group of bees.

Rapid re-deployment
Inscentinel exploits the acute olfactory system of the honeybee but also and most importantly its ability to learn. It currently takes a few hours to train 36 bees at a minimal cost. As the detection of targeted substances relies on the identification of a reflex by a machine, human factors are not an issue. The short training time means that bees can be targeted to a new odour within hours.  This is unique and a key selling point for the detection of explosives and other threat materials, where improvised explosive devices used by potential terrorists evolve rapidly. In sharp contrast to bees, it takes 4-6 months to train a dog at an approximate cost of £25,000.