Breath alcohol measurement with contactless sample collection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11474096-B2
Application number	US-201816641558-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2018
Priority date	Aug 25, 2017
Publication date	Oct 18, 2022
Grant date	Oct 18, 2022

Abstract

A breath alcohol measurement device has a sample collector (1) with a sample inlet (2) configured for a contactless introduction of a breath sample. A measurement unit (9) has a sensor (16) that generates a measurement signal based on an alcohol content in the breath sample. A control and evaluation unit (4) determines the alcohol content based on the measurement signal and transmits a result-specific signal to an output unit (5). Some of the breath sample provided into the sample inlet (2) is applied, at least intermittently via a main flow duct (10), to the sensor (16) via a measurement gas duct (21) that is connected via an outlet to the environment (7). Between the sample inlet (2) and the outlet of the main flow duct there is a further outflow opening (6) through which some of the breath sample introduced into the sample inlet exits into the environment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for the measurement of breath alcohol, the device comprising a funnel-shaped sample collector, into which a discharged breath sample can be introduced by the test subject via a sample inlet, and wherein the sample collector comprises a collector outlet;
a measuring unit;
a sensor arranged in the measuring unit, to which at least a part of the breath sample discharged into the sample inlet can be fed and which generates a measured signal based on an alcohol content contained in the breath sample;
a control and analysis unit, which determines the alcohol content of the breath sample based on the measured signal; and an output unit, wherein the control and analysis unit sends a result-specific signal to the output unit, which provides information about the breath alcohol content of the breath sample, wherein the sample collector and the sample inlet are configured as a contactless breath sample introduction means for introducing the breath sample into the device without contacting the device, the contactless breath sample introduction means comprising a measured gas duct, a main flow duct extending in the interior of the sample collector and adjoining the sample inlet, the main flow duct receiving a part of the breath sample discharged into the sample inlet, which part of the breath sample acts at least at times on the sensor via the measured gas duct and which opens into a surrounding area in a direction of flow behind the measured gas duct via an outlet of the main flow duct, and wherein at least one additional outflow opening is provided between the sample inlet and the outlet of the main flow duct, such that a part of the breath sample is introduced into the sample inlet, and then emerges through the at least one outflow opening into the surrounding area; through which at least one additional outflow opening another part of the breath sample introduced into the sample inlet is released into the surrounding area;
wherein the at least one outflow opening is located between the sample inlet and the collector outlet of the sample collector;
wherein the sample collector has at least one funnel-shaped retaining element, which protrudes inwardly into the main flow duct, and which produces a nozzle-like guide for the respiratory gas stream in the main flow duct, and is configured to at least partially impede a backflow of the breath sample in the direction of the sample inlet.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a cross section of the main flow duct becomes smaller in at least some sections in the direction of flow of the discharged breath sample.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein:
the sample collector has a collector outlet, via which the breath sample discharged into the sample collector is introduced into the measuring unit, in which the sensor is arranged, via the collector outlet and the at least one additional outflow opening is located between the sample inlet and the collector outlet.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the sample collector has at least one fastening element, by which the sample collector can be connected to the measuring unit, in which the sensor is arranged, wherein the main flow duct extends in the measuring unit and the measured gas duct forms a branch in the measuring unit, via which branch a partial breathing gas stream is fed to the sensor at least at times as a function of a control signal generated by the control and analysis unit.

5. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the outflow opening is shaped and dimensioned such that after the breath sample has been introduced into the sample collector, a pressure which is different than the pressure in the surrounding area is generated at the sensor or at a pressure sensor, the measured signal of which is used as the basis for actuating a pump unit to supply the sensor with at least the part of the breath sample.

6. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the retaining element is configured in an area of the sample inlet as a partition enclosing the main flow duct and projecting from an inner wall of the sample collector.

7. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the retaining element comprises at least one fastening element which is configured to non-destructively connect the retaining element to the sample collector and non-destructively detach the retaining element from the sample collector after the connection.

8. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the at least one outflow opening comprises at least two slots made in an outer wall of the sample collector.

9. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the at least one outflow opening comprises a plurality of openings, which are made in an outer wall of the sample collector distributed over a circumference of the flow duct.

10. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a cross section of the main flow duct decreases from the sample inlet to a collector outlet in the sample collector.

11. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein an abrupt reduction of the cross section of the main flow duct is provided between the outflow opening and the collector outlet.

12. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the main flow duct of the sample collector has a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape in at least one plane in the area of the collector outlet.

13. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein at least one flow-influencing component, comprising one or more of a screen, a diaphragm, a flap and/or a valve is arranged between the sample inlet and the sensor.

14. A breathing alcohol measurement device comprising: a sample collector comprising a sample inlet for introducing a breath sample, discharged by a test subject into the sample collector, a sample collector outlet to an environment of the device and a main flow duct within the sample collector connecting the sample inlet to the sample collector outlet;
a measuring unit; a sensor arranged in the measuring unit;
a measuring gas duct associated with the measuring unit for feeding a portion of the breath sample introduced into the sample collector to the sensor, which produces a measurement signal on the basis of an alcohol content contained in the breath sample, the measuring gas duct having a fluid communication opening with the main flow duct at a location such that a portion of the breath sample introduced into the sample collector that flows out of the sample collector outlet flows past the fluid communication opening;
a control and evaluation unit configured to determine the alcohol content of the breath sample based on the measurement signal; and an output unit, the control and evaluation unit further being configured to transmit a result-specific signal to a unit output unit, providing information on the breath alcohol content of the breath sample; and
an outflow opening arrangement, between the sample inlet and the outlet, through which a further portion of the breath sample introduced into the sample collector flows into the environment of the device;
and wherein the sample collector comprises at least one funnel-shaped retaining element, which protrudes inwards into the main flow duct and which is configured to at least partly prevent a backflow of the breath sample in the direction of the sample inlet.

15. A breathing alcohol measurement device in accordance with claim 14 , wherein cross section of the main flow duct becomes smaller in at least some sections in a direction of flow of the discharged breath sample.

16. A breathing alcohol measurement device in accordance with claim 14 , further comprisi

Assignees

• Draeger Safety Ag & Co Kgaa

Inventors

• Rekow Jens
• Morley Stefan
• Barten Stefan
• Stemich Carsten
• Richenberger Michael
• Schröter Sebastian

Classifications

• A61B5/082

  Evaluation by breath analysis, e.g. determination of the chemical composition of exhaled breath (A61B5/083, A61B5/091 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B5/097

  Devices for facilitating collection of breath or for directing breath into or through measuring devices · CPC title

• G01N33/4972 Primary

  Determining alcohol content (for vehicle safety devices B60K28/06) · CPC title