In this paper, we demonstrate that aromatic oil capsules, produced by dripping droplets, can offer a simple, yet effective, testing tool to aid in the diagnosis of various diseases, in which the loss of smell is a key symptom. These include chronic neurological conditions such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, and acute respiratory infections such as that caused by COVID-19. The capsules were fabricated by concentrically dripping oil/alginate droplets, from a coaxial nozzle, into an oppositely charged ionic liquid. This fabrication technique enables full control over the capsule size, the shell thickness and the volume of the encapsulated oil. After formation, liquid capsules were left to dry and form a solid crust surrounding the oil. The prototype test consists of placing a standardized number of capsules between adhesive strips that users crush and pull apart to release the smell. In addition to the fabrication method, a simple mathematical model was developed to predict the volume of encapsulated oil within the capsule in terms of the flow rate ratio and the nozzle size. Tensile tests show that capsule strength is inversely proportional to its size owing to an increase in the shell thickness. By increasing the alginate concentration, the load required to rupture the capsule increases, to the point where capsules are too stiff to be broken by a fingertip grip. Results from a preliminary screening test, within a group of patients with Parkinson's disease, found that smells were detectable using a ‘forced choice’ paradigm.

在本文中，我们证明了由滴滴产生的芳香油胶囊可以提供一种简单而有效的测试工具，以帮助诊断各种疾病，其中嗅觉丧失是一个关键症状。这些包括慢性神经系统疾病，如帕金森病和阿尔茨海默病，以及由 COVID-19 引起的急性呼吸道感染。通过将油/藻酸盐液滴从同轴喷嘴同心滴入带相反电荷的离子液体中来制造胶囊。这种制造技术可以完全控制胶囊尺寸、壳厚度和封装油的体积。形成后，让液体胶囊干燥并在油周围形成固体外壳。原型测试包括在胶条之间放置标准化数量的胶囊，用户将胶条压碎并拉开以释放气味。除了制造方法之外，还开发了一个简单的数学模型，以根据流速比和喷嘴尺寸预测胶囊内封装油的体积。拉伸试验表明，由于壳厚度的增加，胶囊强度与其尺寸成反比。通过增加藻酸盐浓度，使胶囊破裂所需的负荷增加，直至胶囊太硬而不能被指尖抓破。在一组帕金森病患者中进行的初步筛查测试结果发现，使用“强制选择”范式可以检测到气味。除了制造方法之外，还开发了一个简单的数学模型，以根据流速比和喷嘴尺寸预测胶囊内封装油的体积。拉伸试验表明，由于壳厚度的增加，胶囊强度与其尺寸成反比。通过增加藻酸盐浓度，使胶囊破裂所需的负荷增加，直至胶囊太硬而不能被指尖抓破。在一组帕金森病患者中进行的初步筛查测试结果发现，使用“强制选择”范式可以检测到气味。除了制造方法之外，还开发了一个简单的数学模型，以根据流速比和喷嘴尺寸预测胶囊内封装油的体积。拉伸试验表明，由于壳厚度的增加，胶囊强度与其尺寸成反比。通过增加藻酸盐浓度，使胶囊破裂所需的负荷增加，直至胶囊太硬而不能被指尖抓破。在一组帕金森病患者中进行的初步筛查测试结果发现，使用“强制选择”范式可以检测到气味。拉伸试验表明，由于壳厚度的增加，胶囊强度与其尺寸成反比。通过增加藻酸盐浓度，使胶囊破裂所需的负荷增加，直至胶囊太硬而不能被指尖抓破。在一组帕金森病患者中进行的初步筛查测试结果发现，使用“强制选择”范式可以检测到气味。拉伸试验表明，由于壳厚度的增加，胶囊强度与其尺寸成反比。通过增加藻酸盐浓度，使胶囊破裂所需的负荷增加，直至胶囊太硬而不能被指尖抓破。在一组帕金森病患者中进行的初步筛查测试结果发现，使用“强制选择”范式可以检测到气味。