Breath analyzer

Claim 2

A BREATH TESTER FOR QUANTATIVELY MEASURING THE ALCOHOLIC CONTENT OF THE HUMAN BREATH COMPRISING A SMAPLE CHAMBER, AN INLET TUBE FOR RECEIVING A BREATH SAMPLE, A BLOW-SOLENOID VALVE COUPLING SAID INLET TUBE TO SAID SAMPLE CHAMBER, AND AIR PUMP, A PUMP SOLENOID VALVE COUPLING SAID PUP TO SAID SAMPLE CHAMBER, AN OUTLET TUBE CONNECTED TO SAID SAMPLE CHAMBER, A BUBBLE SOLENOID VALVE COUPLED TO SAID OUTPUT TUBE FOR SUPPLYING GAS FROM SAID SAMPLE CHAMBER TO A BUBBLER TUBE, MEANS INCLUDING A PHOTODETECTOR FOR SENSING THE AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL IN A CHARGE OF GAS FROM SAID BUBBLE VALVE, A FIRST SWITCH COUPLED TO SAID CHAMBER FOR PRODUCING AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL WHEN SAID SAID SAMPLE CHAMBER IS EMPTY, A SECOND SWITCH COUPLED TO SAID SAMPLE CHAMBER FOR PRODUCING AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL WHEN SAID SAMPLE CHAMBER IS FULL, A CLOCK FOR PRODUCING TIMING SIGNALS, A SOLID-STATE PROGRAM COUNTER HAVING INPUTS COUPLED TO SAID SWITCHES AND SAID CLOCK, AND A SOLID-STATE PROGRAM DECODER COUPLING SAID PROGRAM COUNTER TO SAID SOLENOID VALVES.

Claim 3

A tester according to claim 1 including a heat responsive bimetallic thermostat switch coupled to said program counter.

Claim 4

A tester according to claim 1 including a case, and a plurality of tester function indicator lights mounted on said case and electrically coupled to said program counter.

Claim 5

A tester according to claim 1 wherein said program counter and said program decoder are both formed of transistor-transistor logic circuits.

Claim 6

A tester according to claim 1 including an electronic thermistor circuit to control operating temperatures.

Claim 7

A tester according to claim 1 including a run switch coupled to said program counter.

Claim 8

A tester according to claim 6 wherein said run switch forms part of a three-position switch manually movable between off, reset and run positions.

Claim 9

A tester according to claim 1 wherein said photodetector includes a digital pickup, a digital display, and a pickup counter coupling said digital pickup to said display.

Claim 10

A tester according to claim 8 wherein said program counter, program decoder, clock and pickup counter are all mounted on a common circuit board.

Claim 11

A breath tester for quantitatively measuring the alcoholic content of the breath of a subject comprising a sample chamber for receiving a charge of breath, means defining a first fluid path communicating with said chamber for taking a breath sample exhaled by the subject, a first electrically operated valve in said first fluid path for controlling the flow of breath into said sample chamber, a first electric switch for indicating when said chamber is empty, a second switch for indicating that a minimum volume of breath has been taken from said subject, a test container having test solution therein supported within said tester, means in said tester defining a second fluid path for flow of the breath sample from said sample chamber to said test container, means for moving the breath sample from the sampe chamber through the second fluid path into said test solution, a second electrically operated valve in said second fluid path for controlling the flow of breath out of said sample chamber, a reference container having a reference solution therein supported within said tester, means in said tester for comparing the light transmission through said test container with light transmission through said reference container, a digital optical display coupled to said comparison means for displaying the result of the breath test, a solid state program counter for controlling the operating functions of the tester, means for actuating said program counter, said switches connected to said program counter, a solid state program decoder coupled to said counter, said program counter being operatively coupled to said valves, said comparison means and said digital optical display respectively, to control flow of said sample through the second fluid path to the test container, and to actuate said comparison means and said display means for displaying a test result.

Claim 12

A breath tester for quantitatively measuring the alcoholic content of the breath of a subject comprising a sample chamber for receiving a charge of breath, means defining a first fluid path communicating with said chamber for taking a breath sample exhaled by the subject, a first electrically operated valve in said first fluid path for controlling the flow of breath into said sample chamber, a first electric switch for indicating when said chamber is empty, a second switch for indicating that a minimum volume of breath has been taken from said subject, a test container having test solution therein supported within said tester, means in said tester defining a second fluid path for flow of the breath sample from said sample chamber to said test container, means for moving the breath sample from the sampe chamber through the second fluid path into said test solution, a second electrically operated valve in said second fluid path for controlling the flow of breath out of said sample chamber, a reference container having a reference solution therein supported within said tester, means in said tester for comparing the light transmission through said test container with light transmission through said reference container, a digital optical display coupled to said comparison means for displaying the result of the breath test, a solid state program counter for controlling the operating functions of the tester, means for actuating said program counter, said switches connected to said program counter, a solid state program decoder coupled to said counter, said program counter being operatively coupled to said valves, said comparison means and said digital optical display respectively, to control flow of said sample through the second fluid path to the test container, and to actuate said comparison means and said display means for displaying a test result.

Claim 13

A tester according to claim 10 wherein said first and second valves comprise solenoid valves.

Claim 14

A tester according to claim 10 including a mouthpiece for blowing a breath sample into said sample chamber, and in which said first valve comprises a blow valve coupling said mouthpiece to said sample chamber.

Claim 15

A tester according to claim 10 including a pump for supplying a charge of air to said sample chamber, said first valve comprising a pump valve coupling said pump to said sample chamber.

Claim 16

A tester according to claim 10 including a clock coupled to said program counter whereby the operation of said first and second valves is responsive to the operation of said clock.

Claim 17

A breath tester as defined in claim 10 which further includes an overflow chamber in fluid communication with said sample chamber for insuring a minimum volume of breath sample being taken from the subject and the second switch being coupled to said overflow chamber for indicating that a minimum volume of breath has been taken from the subject.

Claim 18

A tester as defined in claim 10 which further includes a pump, means defining a third fluid path between said sample chamber and said pump for purging the sample chamber, and a third electrically operated valve in said third fluid path for controlling the flow of air from said pump into said sample chamber.

Claim 19

A tester as defined in claim 10 which further includes means for providing a printed record on the breath test.

Claim 20

A tester as defined in claim 10 which further includes means to prevent operation if said test container or said reference container is subject to external manipulation.

Claim 21

A tester according to claim 10 wherein said optical display comprises a printer.

Claim 22

A tester according to claim 19 wherein said tester is provided with a slot for inserting a card into said printer.

Claim 23

A tester according to claim 10 wherein said display comprises an electro-optical display.

Claim 24

A tester according to claim 21 wherein said display comprises a plurality of digital display stations each formed by a seven bar segment array of lights.

Claim 25

A tester according to claim 10 including overflow means coupled to said sample chamber for measuring a volume of 400 ml.

Claim 26

A tester according to claim 23 in which said overflow means comprises a time actuated valve to measure 400 ml at a predetermined flow rate.

Claim 27

A tester as defined in claim 10 which further includes means for maintaining said sample chamber at a fixed elevated temperature.

Claim 28

A tester as defined in claim 25 which further includes means for preventing operation of said tester if said sample chamber is not at said elevated temperature.

Claim 29

A tester according to claim 10 including an overflow chamber coupled to said sample chamber, each chamber having a piston movable in it, said first switch being located adjacent the bottom of said sample chamber for actuation by the sample chamber piston, and said second switch being located adjacent the top of said overflow chamber for actuation by the overflow chamber piston.

Claim 30

A tester according to claim 12 including a proportioning valve coupling said sample and overflow chmabers, said proportioning valve having an exhaust port for wasting to atmosphere a predetermined portion of gas flowing through said proportioning valve from said sample chamber to said overflow chamber.

Claim 31

A tester according to claim 27 in which said overflow chamber has a volume of 400 ml.