Alcotek, Inc.

Intoximeters, Inc.

Karl P Wolf

Macquorn R Forrester

A hand held breath analyzer is energized when a mouthpiece tube is put into position. An ejector mechanism expels the mouthpiece, which de-energizes the system. The insertion of the mouthpiece not only cocks the ejector mechanism but closes a cover on an exhaust manifold of a breath sample passage. The breath sample passage includes a sample chamber with a port to receive a sampling tube fitting, and an auxiliary port. The exhaust manifold is long relative to the length of the sampling chamber and terminates in an orifice by means of which ambient air is drawn across a thermistor. The sampling tube communicates with a fuel cell chamber, into which breath is drawn by a diaphragm pump arranged, in its normal, uncocked condition, to inhibit the entrance of contaminants into the chamber. The diaphragm pump is actuated in response to operation of the thermistor, through a relay-tripped toggle linkage. A flag, connected to one of the toggle members, blocks the path of light from a photocell to a photoreceptor, insuring that the diaphragm pump is properly cocked for use before a breath sample is attempted to be taken.

Breath alcohol device

Apparatus for measuring breath alcohol content by oxidizing breath alcohol in a fuel cell and utilizing substantially all of the electrons produced by said oxidation as a measure of the amount of alcohol contained in the sample. A working embodiment of the invention includes a resistor across terminals of the fuel cell with a resistance that is high enough to permit the voltage from the fuel cell to be accurately measured but low enough to permit the voltage to fall to a substantially steady minimum voltage within a time on the order of two minutes or less. The method of measuring breath alcohol concentration comprises integrating the entire area under the curve generated by the fuel cell output voltage between the beginning of oxidation of the alcohol in the fuel cell and the reaching of the substantially steady minimum.

Method of and apparatus for testing breath alcohol

In a portable breath alcohol detector using a standard tubular mouthpiece, a breath direction and continuity sensor takes the form of a whistle mounted at a predetermined distance from the discharge end of the mouthpiece to leave a gap, open to the ambient atmosphere, between the discharge end and the whistle, the whistle being of sufficient sensitivity to be activated by a breath blown toward the whistle across the gap and the gap being of a size not appreciably to restrict the flow of breath, and permit air being inhaled to pass freely, whereby if the subject stops breathing, or inhales, the whistle stops sounding, and whereby residual alcohol in the whistle will not be drawn back into the mouthpiece when the subject inhales.

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Webster Groves, MO, United States of America

Karl P Wolf