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US 8,756,974 B2Granted
Mouth alcohol tester
AssigneeAlcotek, Inc.
InventorJohn Mitchell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This application discloses a system for detecting mouth alcohol which is integrated with a breath-measuring instrument. In an embodiment, the breath-measuring instrument comprises a single fuel cell system, wherein the single fuel cell measures an individual's alveolar breath as well as detection of any mouth alcohol. In a further embodiment, the breath-measuring instrument comprises a first fuel cell and a second fuel cell, wherein the first fuel cell measures alveolar breath and the second fuel cell detects mouth alcohol.
Claims16
A breath alcohol tester, comprising:
- a breath manifold designed to accept breath from a human subject, said breath including an early breath followed by a later breath;
- a flow restriction, wherein an action of said breath in said breath manifold against said flow restriction creates a positive pressure in said breath manifold;
- a fuel cell;
- and
- a sampling system, the sampling system comprising an electrochemical volume-displacement device;
- wherein said manifold is configured to use said positive pressure in said manifold to force at least a portion of said early breath into said fuel cell via backpressure without said sampling system sampling said early breath;
- wherein the amount of alcohol forced into said fuel cell by said early breath is measured by said fuel cell as a first value;
- wherein at least a portion of said later breath is displaced by said sampling system and provided to said fuel cell;
- wherein the amount of alcohol in the portion at said later breath displaced by said sampling system is measured by said fuel cell as a second value;
- and
- wherein if a ratio of said first value to said second value is above a predetermined threshold said breath alcohol tester disregards said second value.
8 more elements
A breath alcohol tester, comprising:
- a breath manifold;
- a flow restriction;
- a sampling system, the sampling system comprising an electrochemical volume-displacement device;
- a first fuel cell;
- and
- a second fuel cell;
- wherein said breath manifold is designed to accept breath from a human subject, said breath including an early breath followed by a later breath;
- wherein the action of said breath in said breath manifold against said flow restriction creates a positive pressure in said breath manifold;
- wherein said manifold is configured to use said positive pressure forces at least a portion of said early breath into said first fuel cell without said sampling system sampling said early breath;
- wherein the amount of alcohol in said early breath is calculated by said first fuel cell as a first value;
- wherein at least a portion of said later breath is displaced by said sampling system and provided to said second fuel cell;
- wherein the amount of alcohol in said later breath is calculated by said second fuel cell as a second value;
- wherein the ratio of said first value to said second value is determined and compared to a predetermined threshold;
- and
- wherein if said ratio exceeds said threshold, said breath alcohol tester indicates the presence of mouth alcohol.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.