BREATH ALCOHOL-MEASURING DEVICE WITH AN ILLUMINATED MOUTHPIECE

• US 20080171947A1
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Draeger Safety Incorporated (Dragerwerk AG)
• Original Assignee: Draeger Safety Incorporated (Dragerwerk AG)
• Inventors: RUFFERT, Lutz
• Granted Patent: US 7,833,166 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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: G01N 33/4972 Determining alcohol content for vehicle safety devices B60K28/06

Abstract

A breath alcohol-measuring device is provided, which includes a mouthpiece which can be inserted or attached, with a blow-in opening and with a blow-out opening and with a hole for breathing gas sampling in the breath alcohol-measuring device. The breath alcohol-measuring device (2) is equipped with a radiation source (3) and with a light guide (4) receiving the radiation of the radiation source (3). The light guide (4) is arranged extending from the housing of the breath alcohol-measuring device (2) up to the blow-out opening of the mouthpiece (1) such that the light guide (4) acts as an illuminating means for the mouthpiece (1).

Claims

1. A breath alcohol-measuring device comprising:

a breath alcohol-measuring device housing;

an alcohol sensor connected to said housing;

a mouthpiece with a blow-in opening and with a blow-out opening and with a hole for a breathing gas sampling for said alcohol sensor;

a radiation source; and

a light guide receiving radiation of said radiation source, said light guide being arranged extending from said breath alcohol-measuring device housing up to said blow-out opening of said mouthpiece such that said light guide provides an illuminating means for illuminating said mouthpiece.

2. A breath alcohol-measuring device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said light guide forms a stop for positioning said mouthpiece, said mouthpiece being detachably connected to said housing which can be inserted or attached.

3. A breath alcohol-measuring device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said radiation source is a light emitting diode (LED) and said light guide is a glass fiber element.

4. A breath alcohol-measuring device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said light guide is an injection-molded element.

5. A breath alcohol-measuring device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said radiation source emits radiation in different color ranges.

6. A breath alcohol-measuring device in accordance with claim 5, further comprising a control unit, wherein the different color ranges correspond to different operating or functional states of said breath alcohol-measuring device, said control unit controlling said radiation source to emit predetermined colors of said different color ranges based on a current different operating or functional state of the breath alcohol-measuring device.

7. A breath alcohol-measuring device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said alcohol sensor is an electrochemical sensor.

8. A breath alcohol-measuring device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said radiation source and said light guide are designed as an optical component in one assembly unit.

9. A breath alcohol-measuring device comprising:

a breath alcohol-measuring device housing;

an alcohol sensor connected to said housing;

a mouthpiece detachably mounted on said housing, said mouthpiece having a blow-in opening, a blow-out opening and a sample hole with an operative connection to said alcohol sensor for providing a breathing gas sampling for said alcohol sensor;

a light source; and

a light guide receiving radiation of said radiation source, said light guide being arranged extending from said breath alcohol-measuring device housing up to an operative connection with said mouthpiece such that said light guide guides light to the mouthpiece to illuminate said mouthpiece.

10. A breath alcohol-measuring device in accordance with claim 9, wherein said light guide forms a stop for positioning said mouthpiece.

11. A breath alcohol-measuring device in accordance with claim 9, wherein said radiation source comprises a light emitting diode and said light guide is a fiber optic element.

12. A breath alcohol-measuring device in accordance with claim 9, wherein said light guide is an injection-molded element.

13. A breath alcohol-measuring device in accordance with claim 9, wherein said radiation source emits radiation in different color ranges.

14. A breath alcohol-measuring device in accordance with claim 13, further comprising a control unit, wherein the different color ranges correspond to different operating or functional states of said breath alcohol-measuring device, said control unit controlling said radiation source to emit predetermined colors of said different color ranges based on a current different operating or functional state of the breath alcohol-measuring device.

15. A breath alcohol-measuring device in accordance with claim 9, wherein said alcohol sensor is an electrochemical sensor.

16. A breath alcohol-measuring device in accordance with claim 9, wherein said radiation source and said light guide are designed as an optical component in one assembly unit.

17. A process for breath alcohol-measuring, the process comprising the steps of:

providing a breath alcohol-measuring device housing;

providing an alcohol sensor connected to said housing;

detachably mounting a mouthpiece on said housing, said mouthpiece having a blow-in opening, a blow-out opening and a sample hole with an operative connection to said alcohol sensor for providing a breathing gas sampling for said alcohol sensor;

providing a light source;

providing a light guide for receiving radiation of said radiation source, said light guide being arranged extending from said breath alcohol-measuring device housing up to an operative connection with said mouthpiece;

illuminating said mouthpiece with said light source via said light guide;

operating said alcohol sensor with said mouthpiece and said housing connected as a breath alcohol-measuring device; and

measuring breath alcohol of a subject via the mouthpiece.

18. A process in accordance with claim 17, wherein said light guide forms a stop for positioning said mouthpiece and said radiation source comprises a light emitting diode and said light guide is a fiber optic element.

19. A process in accordance with claim 17, wherein said light guide is formed by injection-molding.

20. A process in accordance with claim 17, further comprising providing a control unit, wherein said radiation source emits radiation in different color ranges and wherein the different color ranges correspond to different operating or functional states of the breath alcohol-measuring device, said control unit controlling said radiation source to emit predetermined colors of said different color ranges based on a current different operating or functional state of the breath alcohol-measuring device.