abstract |
A breath alcohol detector measures and compensates for distance between the mouth of the individual exhaling breath into the ambient air and the detector, the atmospheric pressure, and the temperature. Blood alcohol content information is calculated using these compensation factors and a signal obtained from an electrochemical fuel cell which is indicative of the amount of alcohol or other gas contained in the sample. The detector also includes a reciprocally acting electromagnetically energized motor which drives a diaphragm pump to draw the sample into the electrochemical fuel cell. |