A breathalyzer machine is a device used to gauge the composition of alcohol within the blood stream using a sample of breath. The creation of this gadget dates back to 1874. Back then, there existed only observations of the ability to detect the existence of alcohol in blood stream by use of breath. Those observations were researched upon until the gadget was first invented in Chicago in 1927 by a chemist.
The Chicago chemist however cannot be said to be the inventor of the device because there were earlier experiments about the same. Currently there are many versions of this equipment although the mode of operation remains the same across all of them. The person being tested is required to exhale into the breath analyzer. The equipment has an anode and a cathode terminal.
Any amount of ethanol existing in the breath gets oxidized to produce acetic acid at the anode lead. At the cathode lead, atmospheric oxygen available in the breath gets reduced. The general reaction, which occurs in the entire activity is the oxidation of available ethanol into acetic acid and water. The reaction produces an electric current, which is then measured by some microprocessor in the device.
The reading of produced electric current is indicated as an approximation of (BAC) blood alcohol content by the alcosensors. The displayed value gets represented in terms of quantity of alcohol percentage per given air volume. The correctness of contemporary devices is very reliable and high. Chromium trioxide is the most used oxidizing agent in most gadgets.
There are two major versions or technologies of breath analyzers on the market currently. The first version is called the desktop analyzer, which generally uses electrochemical fuel cell technology, infrared spectrophotometer technology, or a blend of the two. The hand-held versions of this device are manufactured basing on the electrochemical fuel cell technology.
Breatherlyser machines are utilized in many sectors on a public and private scale. Law enforcement personnel in many states utilize the gadget on highways to detect people who drive vehicles under alcohol influence. The device offers a non-invasive method of determining if a person has alcohol in their system. The outcomes of the test are presented in courts of law as evidence against individuals who break the law concerning driving under influence. A person is only arraigned when the stipulated level of alcohol composition in blood is surpassed.
The cost for a breathaliser gadget depends on its quality and make. The models utilized by law enforcement personnel are very expensive since they use advanced technology. The cost however matches their high degree of reliability, accuracy, and sensitivity. There are gadgets that are utilized by companies and individuals too. These ones majorly use semiconductor-based technique, which is cheap, less reliable, and less accurate.
The devices are standardized and certified by different bodies in different countries. For instance in the US, the Food and Drug Administration authority is responsible for ensuring quality of the machines sold to members of the public. A breathalyzer machine being sold in the market does not mean that it is as accurate. For this reason, test results from gadgets that are based on semi-conductor technology are not used in courts as evidence.
The Chicago chemist however cannot be said to be the inventor of the device because there were earlier experiments about the same. Currently there are many versions of this equipment although the mode of operation remains the same across all of them. The person being tested is required to exhale into the breath analyzer. The equipment has an anode and a cathode terminal.
Any amount of ethanol existing in the breath gets oxidized to produce acetic acid at the anode lead. At the cathode lead, atmospheric oxygen available in the breath gets reduced. The general reaction, which occurs in the entire activity is the oxidation of available ethanol into acetic acid and water. The reaction produces an electric current, which is then measured by some microprocessor in the device.
The reading of produced electric current is indicated as an approximation of (BAC) blood alcohol content by the alcosensors. The displayed value gets represented in terms of quantity of alcohol percentage per given air volume. The correctness of contemporary devices is very reliable and high. Chromium trioxide is the most used oxidizing agent in most gadgets.
There are two major versions or technologies of breath analyzers on the market currently. The first version is called the desktop analyzer, which generally uses electrochemical fuel cell technology, infrared spectrophotometer technology, or a blend of the two. The hand-held versions of this device are manufactured basing on the electrochemical fuel cell technology.
Breatherlyser machines are utilized in many sectors on a public and private scale. Law enforcement personnel in many states utilize the gadget on highways to detect people who drive vehicles under alcohol influence. The device offers a non-invasive method of determining if a person has alcohol in their system. The outcomes of the test are presented in courts of law as evidence against individuals who break the law concerning driving under influence. A person is only arraigned when the stipulated level of alcohol composition in blood is surpassed.
The cost for a breathaliser gadget depends on its quality and make. The models utilized by law enforcement personnel are very expensive since they use advanced technology. The cost however matches their high degree of reliability, accuracy, and sensitivity. There are gadgets that are utilized by companies and individuals too. These ones majorly use semiconductor-based technique, which is cheap, less reliable, and less accurate.
The devices are standardized and certified by different bodies in different countries. For instance in the US, the Food and Drug Administration authority is responsible for ensuring quality of the machines sold to members of the public. A breathalyzer machine being sold in the market does not mean that it is as accurate. For this reason, test results from gadgets that are based on semi-conductor technology are not used in courts as evidence.
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