Mouth Alcohol Tester

• US 20090007634A1
• Filed: 07/07/2008
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Consumer Safety Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Alcotek, Inc.
• Inventors: Mitchell, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,161,793 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/23.300
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/4972 Determining alcohol content for vehicle safety devices B60K28/06

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.

Claims

1. A breath alcohol tester, comprising:

a breath manifold;

a flow restriction; and

a 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;

wherein said positive pressure forces at least a portion of said early breath into said fuel cell;

wherein the amount of alcohol in said early breath is calculated by said fuel cell as a first value;

wherein at least a portion of said later breath is drawn into said fuel cell;

wherein the amount of alcohol in said later breath is calculated by said 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.

2. The tester of claim 1 wherein said portion of said early breath has a smaller volume than said portion of said later breath.

3. The tester of claim 1 wherein said threshold is between about 0.05 and 0.07.

4. The tester of claim 3 wherein said threshold is about 0.06.

5. The tester of claim 1 wherein said tester includes a second fuel cell, said second fuel cell also taking in at least a portion of said later breath.

6. The tester of claim 5 wherein said second fuel cell indicates the human subject'"'"'s breath alcohol level in the event that said breath alcohol tester does not indicate the presence of mouth alcohol.

7. The tester of claim 5 wherein said later breath comprises alveolar breath.

8. The tester of claim 1 wherein said portion of said early breath comprises a plurality of samples taken over time.

9. The tester of claim 8 wherein said portion of said early breath comprises a continuous sample taken up until the later breath.

10. The tester of claim 1 wherein said later breath comprises alveolar breath.

11. The tester of claim 1 wherein pressure within said breath manifold is used to distinguish said early breath from said later breath.

12. The tester of claim 11 wherein said pressure is used to monitor flow of breath.

13. A breath alcohol tester, comprising:

a breath manifold;

a flow restriction;

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;

wherein said positive pressure forces at least a portion of said early breath into said first fuel cell;

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 drawn into 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.

14. The tester of claim 13 wherein said portion of said early breath has a smaller volume than said portion of said later breath.

15. The tester of claim 13 wherein said threshold is between about 0.05 and 0.07.

16. The tester of claim 15 wherein said threshold is about 0.06.

17. The tester of claim 13 wherein said later breath comprises alveolar breath.

18. The tester of claim 13 wherein pressure within said breath manifold is used to distinguish said early breath from said later breath.

19. The tester of claim 18 wherein said pressure is used to monitor flow of breath.

20. A method for detecting the presence of mouth alcohol, the method comprising:

having a human subject breath into a breath manifold of a breath tester, the breath of said human subject including an early breath followed by a later breath;

having at least a portion of said early breath enter into a fuel cell;

determining an amount of alcohol in said early breath at said fuel cell;

having at least a portion of said later breath enter into said fuel cell;

determining an amount of alcohol in said later breath at said fuel cell;

calculating the ratio of said amount of alcohol in said early breath to said amount of alcohol in said later breath;

comparing said ratio to a predetermined threshold; and

if said ratio exceeds said threshold, indicating the presence of mouth alcohol.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said threshold is between about 0.05 and 0.07.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said threshold is about 0.06.