SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING AND MEASURING ETHYL ALCOHOL IN THE BLOOD OF A MOTORIZED VEHICLE DRIVER TRANSDERMALLY AND NON-INVASIVELY IN THE PRESENCE OF INTERFERENTS
First Claim
1. A method for detecting and measuring ethyl alcohol in the bloodstream comprising the steps of:
- providing, an array of sensors adapted to process the pre-perspiratory vapor emanating from a person, the pre-perspiratory vapor containing one or more analytes;
each sensor in the array of sensors producing a signal in response to the analytes present;
at least one sensor producing an identifiable signal to an analyte of ethanol; and
at least two sensors in the sensor array producing a different signal in response to an identical analyte;
storing signal patterns corresponding to one or more outputs of the array of sensors in a pattern recognition library; and
receiving individual outputs from the array of sensors at a computing device, the array output exhibiting a pattern;
comparing the array outputs to the signal patterns stored in the pattern recognition library; and
determining a transdermal alcohol content measurement as a function of the comparison.
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Abstract
This invention relates to a system and method that can quickly and accurately detect and measure ethyl alcohol in the blood of a motorized vehicle driver transdermally and non-invasively within minutes of ethanol consumption and in the presence of interferents. The system includes an array of sensors embedded into the steering mechanism of a motorized vehicle, a data base of patterns produced through empirical testing of various analytes in various combinations and concentrations, neural net based pattern recognition algorithms to ascertain the driver'"'"'s transdermal alcohol concentration and a database derived from human testing, correlating the driver'"'"'s transdermal alcohol concentration with the driver'"'"'s blood alcohol concentration. The detection system is integrated with a motor vehicle decision module which can prevent the operation of a motorized vehicle by a driver whose BAC exceeds a preset limit.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method for detecting and measuring ethyl alcohol in the bloodstream comprising the steps of:
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providing, an array of sensors adapted to process the pre-perspiratory vapor emanating from a person, the pre-perspiratory vapor containing one or more analytes; each sensor in the array of sensors producing a signal in response to the analytes present;
at least one sensor producing an identifiable signal to an analyte of ethanol; and
at least two sensors in the sensor array producing a different signal in response to an identical analyte;storing signal patterns corresponding to one or more outputs of the array of sensors in a pattern recognition library; and receiving individual outputs from the array of sensors at a computing device, the array output exhibiting a pattern; comparing the array outputs to the signal patterns stored in the pattern recognition library; and determining a transdermal alcohol content measurement as a function of the comparison. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification