Device and process for determining the temperature of the gas sample flow during breath alcohol measurements
AssigneeDrager Sicherheitstechnik GmbH
InventorBurkhard Stock
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device comprising a combination of a mouthpiece (2) with a holder (1), which receives the mouthpiece (2) and has a sampling channel (4) leading to a breath alcohol-measuring device and a temperature sensor (11) arranged in the connection area between the holder (1) and the mouthpiece (2). To make it possible to determine the temperature of the mouthpiece (2) inserted into the holder (1) the mouthpiece (2) is designed for the temperature sensor (11) to be arranged in the sampling channel (4) as a wall section (10) covering the inner wall of the sampling channel (4) in the area of the temperature sensor (11).
Claims10
A mouthpiece holder and alcohol measuring device combination, the combination comprising:
- a mouthpiece;
- a breath alcohol-measuring device;
- a holder receiving portion which receives the mouthpiece and has a sampling channel leading to the breath alcohol-measuring device;
- a temperature sensor arranged in a connection area adjacent to the holder and adjacent to the mouthpiece, said temperature sensor being arranged in said sampling channelwith a wall section of said mouthpiece covering an inner wall of said sampling channel at least partially in an area of said temperature sensor;
- temperature correction means associated with said breath alcohol-measuring device for providing a corrected temperature measurement signal from said temperature sensor based on a sensing of the temperature in said sampling channel before the mouthpiece is connected and a sensing of the temperature in said sampling channel after the mouthpiece is connected to provide an indication ofbreath temperature measurement distortion caused by said mouthpiece;
- and
- another temperature sensor, said mouthpiece having a coupling part in said connection area and said holder including a mount at said connection area with said connection area in said mount defining a mouthpiece holder interface, said another temperature sensor being arranged at said mouthpiece holder interface positioned to detect a surface temperature of said coupling part.
A process for determining a characteristic proportional to a temperature of a mouthpiece and holder combination, the combination including a holder receiving portion which receives the mouthpiece and has a sampling channel leading to a breath alcohol-measuring device and a temperature sensor, the process comprising the steps of:
- arranging the temperature sensor in said sampling channel in a connection area adjacent to the holder and the mouthpiece;
- arranging a wall section of the mouthpiece in said sampling channel covering an inner wall of the sampling channel at least partially in an area of said temperature sensor;
- measuring a first temperature T.sub.H with the temperature sensor before the mouthpiece has been received by the holder;
- determining a maximum temperature drop dT compared with the first temperature T.sub.H after the mouthpiece has been received by the holder;
- and
- using the temperature drop dT as a characteristic value proportional to the temperature of the mouthpiece.
A process for measuring breath alcohol, the process comprising the steps of:
- providing a mouthpiece;
- providing a breath alcohol-measuring device;
- providing a holder receiving portion which receives the mouthpiece and has a sampling channel with an inner wall
- arranging a temperature sensor in said sampling channel;
- arranging a wall section of the mouthpiece in said sampling channel covering said inner wall of said sampling channel in an area of the temperature sensor;
- measuring a first temperature T.sub.H with the temperature sensor before the mouthpiece has been received by the holder;
- measuring a second temperature with the temperature sensor for determining a maximum temperature drop dT compared with the first temperature T.sub.H after the mouthpiece has been received by the holder;
- and
- using the temperature drop dT as a characteristic value proportional to the temperature of the mouthpiece for determining the temperature of the gas sample blown by a subject for breath alcohol measurement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.