title: Methods for building an inexpensive computer-controlled olfactometer for temporally-precise experiments.
abstract: Many human olfactory experiments call for fast and stable stimulus-rise times as well as exact and stable stimulus-onset times. Due to these temporal demands, an olfactometer is often needed. However, an olfactometer is a piece of equipment that either comes with a high price tag or requires a high degree of technical expertise to build and/or to run. Here, we detail the construction of an olfactometer that is constructed almost exclusively with "off-the-shelf" parts, requires little technical knowledge to build, has relatively low price tags, and is controlled by E-Prime, a turnkey-ready and easily-programmable software commonly used in psychological experiments. The olfactometer can present either solid or liquid odor sources, and it exhibits a fast stimulus-rise time and a fast and stable stimulus-onset time. We provide a detailed description of the olfactometer construction, a list of its individual parts and prices, as well as potential modifications to the design. In addition, we present odor onset and concentration curves as measured with a photo-ionization detector, together with corresponding GC/MS analyses of signal-intensity drop (5.9%) over a longer period of use. Finally, we present data from behavioral and psychophysiological recordings demonstrating that the olfactometer is suitable for use during event-related EEG experiments.
authors.affiliation: Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
authors.forename: Johan N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Lundström
authors.forename: Amy R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: Eva C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Alden
authors.forename: Sanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boesveldt
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Albrecht
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017076:Computer-Aided Design / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D003201:Computers / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009812:Odorants / Q000032:analysis*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology; D012984:Software / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult