Interactive blood-alcohol content tester

• US 8,814,804 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2011
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IPH LLC (Vistra Corp.)
• Original Assignee: IPH LLC (Vistra Corp.)
• Inventors: Walden, Eugene D., Walden, Whitney B., Walden, Ryan B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Jacqueline
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hipps, Corey B
• Application Number:
  US13/324,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20120157871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 600/532, 600/538, 600/543
• US Class Current: 600/532
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/097 Devices for facilitating collection of breath or for directing breath into or through measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4845 Toxicology, e.g. by detection of alcohol, drug or toxic products A61B5/4848 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/4972 Determining alcohol content for vehicle safety devices B60K28/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

A blood-alcohol content (BAC) tester for use at a facility serving alcohol. The BAC tester includes a breath-sampling unit having an air-chamber unit defining a closed position and an open position. The air-chamber unit has a first air-chamber block and a second air-chamber block, the first air-chamber block and the second air-chamber block defining an air chamber for receiving air exhaled from a user. The breath-sampling unit also includes a drive unit coupled to the second air-chamber block and an alcohol sensor. The BAC tester also includes a sensor circuit communicatively coupled to the drive unit and the alcohol sensor. The sensor circuit is configured to cause the drive unit to move the second-air chamber block relative to the first air-chamber block so as to cause the air-chamber unit to be in the closed or the open position.

Claims

1. An improved accuracy, rapidly-clearing blood-alcohol content (BAC) tester for use at a facility serving alcohol having high-volume usage with minimal wait-time between tests, the BAC tester comprising:

a breath-sampling unit, the breath-sampling unit including;

an air-chamber unit defining a closed position and an open position, the air-chamber unit having;

a first air-chamber block comprising a generally planar surface and a cavity, and

a second air-chamber block comprising a generally flat plate,

the first air-chamber block and the second air-chamber block defining an air-chamber for receiving air exhaled from a user;

a drive unit operably coupled to the second air-chamber block;

an alcohol sensor for sensing the presence of alcohol in the air exhaled from the user; and

a fan configured to direct airflow to a vicinity of the air-chamber unit when the air-chamber unit is in the open position so as to remove residual air exhaled from the user, thereby rapidly clearing the air-chamber; and

a sensor circuit communicatively coupled to the drive unit and the alcohol sensor;

wherein the sensor circuit is configured to cause the drive unit to move the second-air chamber block relative to the first air-chamber block so as to cause the air-chamber unit to be in the closed or the open position

wherein in the closed position, the generally flat plate of the second air-chamber block is adjacent to, and in contact with, the generally planar surface of the first air-chamber block and covers the cavity of the first air-chamber block thereby forming the air chamber.

2. The BAC tester of claim 1, wherein the sensor circuit is further configured to cause the drive unit to move the second-air chamber block in a direction transverse to the first air-chamber block so as to cause the air-chamber unit to be in the open position.

3. The BAC tester of claim 1, wherein the drive unit includes a motor and a threaded drive shaft, the drive shaft rotatably coupled to the motor and to a coupling unit attached to the second air-chamber block.

4. The BAC tester of claim 3, wherein the drive shaft projects perpendicularly to an inside, generally planar surface of the first air-chamber block, and the second air-chamber block is configured to move parallel to an axis of the drive shaft when the drive shaft is rotated.

5. The BAC tester of claim 1, further comprising a coupling unit attached to the second air-chamber block, the coupling unit including a central, threaded aperture engaging a threaded drive shaft of the drive unit.