US5834626A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Colorimetric indicators for breath, air, gas and vapor analyses and method of manufacture
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1996-11-29
•
Granted: 1998-11-10
•
Expires: 2016-11-29
Abstract
Abstract Colorimetric indicators for breath, air, gas, & vapor analyses that can be thrown away after a single use, are easy to use, low cost, small, and simple to manufacture for indicating at least volume passed through the colorimetric indicators and may also be used to indicate concentration of an analyte within breath, air, gas, & vapor passed through the colorimetric indicators. The present invention is directed to colorimetric indicators for breath, air, gas, & vapor analyses. The colorimetric indicators may have a housing with an entrance port, an outlet, a volume indicator, and an analyte indicating reagent. The volume indicator may be a breath volume reagent. Different analytes may be measured, the analyte indicating reagent depending upon the particular analyte being to monitored. The breath volume indicator is colorimetric, and changes color when a predetermined volume of air is passed through the colorimetric indicators for breath, air, gas, & vapor analyses. The analyte indicator reagent is also colorimetric, and changes color when a predetermined amount of chemical concentration of the analyte is exposed to the analyte indicator reagent. A process for manufacturing a colorimetric indicator for breath, air, gas, and vapor analyses, comprises at least the following steps: immobilizing a reagent, such color change inducing reagent being composed of at least one constant concentration component.
Inventors
- 👤 Emory S. De Castro
- 👤 Douglas R. Malat
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 16:39
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N33/00; G01N33/48; G01N33/50; G01N33/98; G01N21/00; G01N21/75; G01N21/77; G01N21/78; G01N21/783; G01N31/00; G01N31/22; G01N33/483; G01N33/497; G01N33/4972; G01N2800/00; G01N2800/30; G01N2800/307
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 43
Claim 1
Independent Claim
133 words
A colorimetric indicator for breath, air, gas, and vapor analyses, comprising: a housing having at least one inlet for passage of said breath, air, gas, and vapor into said housing and at least one outlet for passage of said breath, air, gas, and vapor out of said housing; a first chemical reactant within said housing in contact with said breath, air, gas, and vapor passing therethrough for indicating directly when a fixed volumetric quantity of said breath, air, gas, and vapor has passed through said housing; and a second chemical reactant within said housing in contact with said breath, air, gas, and vapor passing therethrough for indicating directly whether a predetermined threshold amount of a predetermined analyte has been reached during passage of said fixed volumetric quantity of breath, air, gas, and vapor.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
133 words
A colorimetric indicator for breath, air, gas, and vapor analyses, comprising: a housing having at least one inlet for passage of said breath, air, gas, and vapor into said housing and at least one outlet for passage of said breath, air, gas, and vapor out of said housing; a first chemical reactant within said housing in contact with said breath, air, gas, and vapor passing therethrough for indicating directly when a fixed volumetric quantity of said breath, air, gas, and vapor has passed through said housing; and a second chemical reactant within said housing in contact with said breath, air, gas, and vapor passing therethrough for indicating directly whether a predetermined threshold amount of a predetermined analyte has been reached during passage of said fixed volumetric quantity of breath, air, gas, and vapor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
The colorimetric indicator for breath, air, gas, and vapor analyses according to claim 1 wherein said chemical reactant is selected from the group consisting of transition metal complexes, organometallic compounds, inorganic compounds and organic compounds.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
The colorimetric indicator for breath, air, gas, and vapor analyses according to claim 1 wherein said chemical reactant is selected from the group consisting of cobalt chloride, cobalt hydroxide, compounds of cobalt and polyalkylpolyamine ligands, compounds of cobalt and macrocyclic ligands, compounds of cobalt and amino acid ligands, and compounds of cobalt and salen type ligands.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
133 words
The colorimetric indicator for breath, air, gas, and vapor analyses according to claim 1 wherein said chemical reactant for indicating volume is selected from the group consisting of compounds of iron and polyalkylpolyamine ligands, compounds of iron and macrocyclic ligands, compounds of iron and amino acid ligands, compounds of iron and salen type ligands, compounds of nickel and polyalkylpolyamine ligands, compounds of nickel and macrocyclic ligands, compounds of nickel and amino acid ligands, compounds of nickel and salen types ligands, compounds of copper and polyalkylpolyamine ligands, compounds of copper and macrocyclic ligand, compounds of copper and amino acid ligands; compounds of copper and salen type ligands, compounds of zinc and polyalkylpolyamine ligands, compounds of zinc and macrocyclic ligands, compounds of zinc and amino acid ligands, and compounds of zinc and salen type ligands.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The colorimetric indicator for breath, air, gas, and vapor analyses according to claim 1 wherein said first chemical reactant for indicating volume, is selected from the group consisting of Vitamin B12, phthalocyanines, and pyterines, porphyrins.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
The colorimetric indicator for breath, air, gas, and vapor analyses according to claim 1 wherein said first chemical reactant for indicating volume, is selected from the group consisting of iron, copper, nickel, silver.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
The colorimetric indicator for breath, air, gas, and vapor analyses according to claim 1 wherein said first chemical reactant for indicating volume, is selected from the group consisting of redox dyes and pH indicators.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
The colorimetric indicator for breath, air, gas, and vapor analyses according to claim 7 wherein said chemical reactant for indicating volume is selected from the group consisting of Vitamin B12, phthalocyanines, pyterines, and porphyrins.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
The colorimetric indicator for breath, air, gas, and vapor analyses according to claim 1 wherein said said second chemical reactant is selected from the group consisting of chromates, dichromates, permanganates, silver ions and alcohol dehydrogenases.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
41 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 1 wherein said housing comprises at least one conduit, wherein said entrance port is an open breathing mouthpiece at one end and further wherein said exit port is an open output port at another end.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 10 wherein said chemical reactant for indicating presence of a chemical concentration of analyte is located within said at least one conduit.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 10 wherein said chemical reactant for indicating a volume of breath is located within said at least one conduit.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 10 further comprising a user-openable discardable air-tight container enclosing said at least one conduit.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
15 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 13 wherein said user-openable discardable air-tight container comprises cellophane.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
16 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 13 wherein said user-openable discardable air-tight container comprises mylar-coated plastic.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
55 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 1 wherein said first chemical reactant is in one predetermined zone which undergoes a change of color from one color to a different color and wherein said second chemical reactant is in another zone which undergoes a change of color from one predetermined color to a second predetermined color.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
37 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 16 wherein said change of color of said second chemical reactant for indicating presence of said analyte indicates whether the user's breath alcohol level exceeds a predetermined threshold level of alcohol.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
36 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 10 wherein said at least one conduit comprises a plurality of conduits, wherein one conduit includes a predetermined volume of breath and another conduit indicates the presence of said analyte.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
29 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 18 wherein each said conduit includes a plurality of segments, each said segment indicating the presence of various concentrations of analyte within conduit.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
46 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 18 wherein said at least one conduit includes a plurality of predetermined visually ascertainable zones, wherein one zone of said plurality of zones indicates breath volume and another zone of said plurality of zones indicates the presence of said analyte.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
15 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 20 wherein said zones are parallel to each other.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
26 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 20 wherein said plurality of conduits includes a pair of coaxial components, including an outer conduit enclosing an inner conduit.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
23 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 10 wherein said mouthpiece includes a plurality of pores transversally engageable with exhaled breath of the user.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
25 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 10 further comprising an interstitial space through which said interstitial space the exhaled air of the user contacts said.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
12 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 10 wherein said housing is rectangular.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
12 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 10 wherein said housing is cylindrical.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
15 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 10 wherein said at least one conduit is tubular.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
18 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 10 wherein said at least one conduit is square in cross section.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
18 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 10 wherein said at least one conduit is triangular in cross section.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
19 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 10 wherein said output port is axially aligned with said the inlet mouthpiece.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
25 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 10 wherein said output port extends outward at an angle from said at least one conduit and said mouthpiece.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
23 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 10 wherein said output port extends outward perpendicular to said at least one conduit and said mouthpiece.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
15 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 10 wherein said at least one conduit extends linearly.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
17 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 10 wherein said at least one conduit is circular in shape.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
17 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 10 wherein said at least one conduit is spiral in shape.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
17 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 10 wherein said at least one conduit is a "J" shape.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
15 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 10 wherein said at least one conduit is transparent.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
41 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 10 wherein said at least one conduit is opaque, and wherein said at least one conduit includes an optical detector within said at least one conduit, a display displaying the output of said optical detector.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
12 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 38 wherein said display is digital.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
12 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 38 wherein said display is analog.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
22 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 10 further comprising a measuring gauge attached to an exterior of said at least one conduit.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
18 words
The colorimetric indicator as in claim 10 wherein a portion of said at least one conduit is transparent.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3388975A
Cited
US3437449A
Cited
USRE27008E
Cited
US3647391A
Cited
US3676073A
Cited
USRE31915E
Cited
USRE31914E
Cited
US4093945A
Cited
US3772909A
Cited
US3925183A
Cited
US3888628A
Cited
US3792272A
Cited
US3792272B1
Cited
US3916534A
Cited
US3998591A
Cited
US4140106A
Cited
US4161875A
Cited
US4329318A
Cited
US4297871A
Cited
US4277251A
Cited
US4294583A
Cited
US4421719A
Cited
EP0133326A2
Cited
US4828800A
Cited
US4492673A
Cited
US4642286A
Cited
US4810633A
Cited
US4863694A
Cited
US4839296A
Cited
US4962025A
Cited
US4791065A
Cited
US4740475A
Cited
US4905498A
Cited
US5055268A
Cited
US5032506A
Cited
US5174959A
Cited
US4826774A
Cited
US4933144A
Cited
US4749553A
Cited
US4994238A
Cited
US5089232A
Cited
US5185247A
Cited
US5291887A
Cited
US5472668A
Cited
US5059790A
Cited
US5196302A
Cited
US5171535A
Cited
US5220919A
Cited
US5274550A
Cited
US5328664A
Cited
US5334502A
Cited
US5309921A
Cited
EP0577263A1
Cited
US5403749A
Cited
US5369977A
Cited
US5429931A
Cited
US5501231A
Cited
US5439648A
Cited
US5426415A
Cited
US5417204A
Cited
US5454375A
Cited
US5445795A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-11-09 | 2002-05-11 | 2002-11-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-11-09 | 2006-05-11 | 2006-11-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-11-09 | 2010-05-11 | 2010-11-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |