Many consumers believe that a device such as a breathalyzer is not useful in everyday life. However, this apparatus will help control adolescents in order to protect them from early alcoholism. With your own device, it is easy to determine if you can drive. How to choose a breathalyzer? What do you need to know and remember when buying and using? This article will tell you about it.

A bit of history

The first devices for determining the presence of alcohol in a subject's blood appeared in the thirties of the twentieth century. However, these were still quite primitive devices, they could not determine the degree of intoxication. It was only in 1953 that the first breathalyzer capable of quantifying was produced. Since then, devices of this type have been used in those industries in which a sobriety test is required.

What it is?

Breathalyzer is a device that allows you to quickly determine the amount of alcohol in a person's blood by breathing out from the lungs. The result is usually displayed in ppm - a unit that means one thousandth.

How to choose a breathalyzer? There are professional devices called breathalyzers. They are slightly higher than that of conventional "home" breathalyzers. Professional devices can carry out up to seventy thousand measurements per year, they are equipped with special drives and printers to save the results in memory and print them. It is the breathalyzers that are used during inspections by the traffic police. The readings of only these devices, which have passed special certification, are accepted by the court - this must be remembered and known by all drivers.

In ordinary life, such complex devices are not needed. Get a regular breathalyzer, the price of which is acceptable. Fancy alcometers are very expensive and take up a lot of space. Probably for this reason, most users opt for compact "home" units. Today, many drivers are trying to purchase such a device for themselves. There are especially many users among newcomers who have recently become motorists. They still do not have enough experience in driving their car and communicating with traffic police officers. Of course, police inspectors have their own professional breathalyzers. However, the readings of individual devices should not differ significantly from those presented to you by the traffic police. The margin of error is up to twenty percent.

Are you wondering how to choose a breathalyzer yourself? First, let's try to figure out how it works.

Operating principle

How to use such a device? If you purchased a breathalyzer in a store, instructions for the device should be attached. Usually, the device should be used like this: within five to six seconds, a person exhales air through a special tube. Having collected a sufficient amount of material for analysis, the device emits a click, indicating that it is time to stop inhalation. After that, the collected air is analyzed and the measurement results are displayed on the screen.

Appearance

The personal model is usually very compact and can be put in a pocket. Such a small breathalyzer, customer reviews of which are mostly positive, looks a bit like a mobile phone, only the device has only one button. Depending on the brand chosen, the device can be red, gray, black, silver, etc. Similar devices are produced at factories in Russia, Canada, Germany.

How to choose a breathalyzer? Customer reviews say that it is advisable to purchase products from official representatives. The fact is that today “gray” models have appeared on the market, outwardly almost indistinguishable from the originals produced under the brands of well-known and proven companies. Typically, these "left-hand" devices have a much lower price. An experienced buyer should think about why the cost of the device is so different from the price of a similar model offered by an official representative? Of course, no one will guarantee the normal operation and accuracy of the readings of such a device. In addition, breathalyzers purchased in questionable places are usually not repairable, that is, they are disposable. It turns out that the acquisition of cheap devices in fact turns out to be not so profitable.

Types of breathalyzers

In today's market for personal breathalyzers, there are two types of models: with electrochemical or semiconductor sensors. The latter are somewhat cheaper, but they need to be changed periodically (on average, once every three to four months). If you opt for an electrochemical sensor, then initially you will pay a little more (up to 8.5 thousand rubles). However, later you will not have to contact the service center to replace the part - it will only be enough to periodically adjust it to reduce Breathalyzer can work from batteries. Depending on the model, you may need two or three pieces. It is advisable to purchase - they last longer, and a device operating on such a power supply will give more accurate readings. Professional breathalyzers are usually large, so they are powered from the mains or from a special battery.

Budget models

How often can a personal breathalyzer be used? User reviews indicate that it is advisable to operate cheap models (with a cost of up to 1000 rubles) as intended once or twice a week. What devices belong to this product line?

For example, this is the popular Dingo breathalyzer. It is capable of withstanding up to 400 tests. After the sensor fails (this usually happens every three to four months), you just need to purchase a new one and insert it into the device. For individual use, such a device is quite suitable, you just need to remember that the permissible error of this model is up to twenty percent. Although for home use, this is a completely acceptable result. Among budget models, the Alco Stop breathalyzer is also very popular.

Professional devices

If you need to take daily measurements, choose devices of a higher cost - up to ten thousand rubles. You have not yet decided which breathalyzer to buy? Customer reviews will give more information about a particular device, so do not neglect reading opinions and statements.

To check a large number of people, you should buy a high-quality professional device. For example, if you purchase a device from the German company "Drager", the breathalyzer will last much longer. Such a device can check up to seventy thousand people a year. If necessary, you can complete this device with a printer on which the research results will be printed. Sometimes an enterprise does not want to spend significant funds on checking the condition of its employees, but the need for this remains. How to proceed in this case? You can advise to pay attention to such models as "Dingo", Drivesafe. They can conduct fairly accurate research in a large number of people, and their cost is much lower than that of professional breathalyzers.

Now the industry produces breathalyzers not only for drivers, but also, for example, for checking visitors to nightclubs. Often, such devices are purchased by a company for inspection before flights of its employees. Therefore, when choosing a device, you should take into account the specifics of use.

Mouthpieces

Many models of breathalyzers have a mouthpiece in the kit. Some devices' kits may contain several such accessories at once. In addition to the hygienic component, the purpose of such a device is to take measurements with greater accuracy. When you exhale, the entire volume of air enters the device through the mouthpiece. Without this auxiliary device, part of the air will go "to the side", which reduces the measurement accuracy.

Finally

Now, after reading this article, you know exactly how to choose a breathalyzer, all that remains is to make a purchase. Let the money not be wasted, and the new device will help prevent accidents on the road and save you money on traffic fines. It is possible that you are a strict parent who wants to control your teenage child, in which case you can choose any, even the simplest, breathalyzer model. Get, for example, a device that resembles a keychain.

Many drivers, on the eve of short trips from home to store or from home to garage, consider it permissible to follow the lead of a moment's weakness and overturn a glass of beer, for example. That is why, seeing on the horizon, they worry that they will have to take a test for the alcohol content in the body. But what is the difference between an breathalyzer and a breathalyzer, what is the principle of operation of these devices and can they be considered interchangeable? To avoid confusion, a clear line should be drawn between one concept and another.

What is a breathalyzer?

It should be said right away that both the breathalyzer and the breathalyzer are devices designed to conduct a blood test and determine the level of content. Nevertheless, despite the similarity in purpose, the difference between these devices lies in their technical parameters.

So, breathalyzers are designed for household use. As a rule, they are purchased by drivers who find it difficult to do without self-control and who prefer to play it safe and independently check whether they can get behind the wheel after the last walk by themselves, or wanting to make sure that an adult child can take the car for personal use. Household breathalyzers are very practical due to their compactness and ease of use. In addition, such a device is quite and allows you to measure the level of alcohol in the blood several times a day.

In order to avoid acquiring a fake, keep in mind that a certificate is also included with the household breathalyzer, which confirms the appropriate quality of the product. However, due to the fact that such a household device is not capable of providing extremely accurate analysis results, its readings cannot be used in order to officially confirm how much alcohol was in the blood at a specific time.

What is an alcometer?

In turn, the readings of the breathalyzer can be used by traffic police inspectors to confirm or deny that the driver was intoxicated. These devices are capable of withstanding a load of up to 300 tests per day. Often they are used to monitor the condition of employees, or in medical institutions to examine patients.

The error of the alcometer, which is produced exclusively for professional purposes, is no more than 0.01 ppm. In addition, such a device can, at your request, output the analysis results to the printer of your choice with the possibility of their subsequent printing. No professional breathalyzer can be used until it has passed the appropriate tests and is marked with a quality certificate. Today there is an official list of brands of breathalyzers recommended for organizations.

The certification that the breathalyzers undergo is aimed at testing the device's ability to operate in adverse weather conditions and in high intensity mode. It is customary to carry out the tests as in the heat, and even with strong drops in atmospheric pressure.

We dot all the "and"

Having dealt with the definitions and scope of devices such as a breathalyzer and breathalyzer, we can say with full knowledge of the situation that both of these devices perform the same function - they determine the level of alcohol in the blood of the driver of the car. Now it would be quite logical to figure out how to use the breathalyzer. To analyze the degree of alcoholic intoxication, it is enough just to diligently blow into the mouthpiece attached to the device. After just a few seconds, it will be possible to review the analysis results and make a decision as to whether the trip will be possible.

How to use breathalyzers and breathalyzers?

There are a few simple rules to follow when using blood alcohol testing devices:

1. First, smokers will have to wait a bit before testing. It is important that at least 5-10 minutes have elapsed since the last cigarette you smoked.
2. Secondly, it is not recommended to take medications that contain alcohol immediately before testing. If you had such a drug intake, you should wait 15–20 minutes and rinse your mouth.

It is worth remembering that the test results can be affected by volatile compounds of gasoline, kerosene, acetone and even the exhaust of a car engine.

13.02.2018 Narcologist Mikhail Konstantinovich Transition 0

The principle of operation of the breathalyzer

In the modern world, it is useful for motorists, professional drivers and their employers, ordinary employees of transport companies to know the principle of operation of a breathalyzer - a device that the traffic police uses to measure the concentration of alcohol in blood. This information will help you not to be trapped, not only on the road, but also in other extraordinary situations. Because even a person who does not abuse alcoholic beverages may be faced with the need for testing. And in this case, it is better not to be lost in conjectures, but to have all the available knowledge about the upcoming test.

A breathalyzer is a device for determining the amount of ethanol in the blood or air exhaled by a person by analyzing this air, which allows you to determine the degree of intoxication of the test person, whether he drank shortly before the test, and what concentration of the drunk remained in the body.

As you know, even a small dose of alcohol can affect the speed of reactions, concentration of attention, causing inhibition, apathy, drowsiness. Or, conversely, provoke aggressiveness, impairing the performance of the brain as a whole. In certain situations, this condition can be dangerous not only for the person who drank, but also for his environment. After all, it is so easy to not see a road sign or a hurrying bystander on the road in a depressed state, and how difficult it is then to accept the fatal consequences.

Scope of application

With the help of an alcometer, the study can be carried out in the following cases:

• identifying violators among drivers checked by traffic police officers on the roads and in sections;
• before leaving the route for drivers who work in road transport services;
• to resolve legal disputes and problems;
• to test the condition of employees of public and private enterprises working with substances hazardous to health, with complex mechanisms or in extreme working conditions;
• monitoring problem children;
• preventive examination of their own body by conscientious drivers.

Who needs a device?

A breathalyzer may well be needed:

• traffic police and other organizations that maintain law and order in the country;
• heads of large enterprises, individual branches and workshops;
• heads of transport companies;
• conscientious drivers;
• parents of problem teenagers;
• to doctors of narcological clinics and dispensaries.

What does the breathalyzer react to?

Once in the body, ethanol is almost immediately transported by the blood stream to all tissues and organs. Part of the substance enters the lungs, from where it exits along with the exhalation. The breathalyzer analyzes the exhaled air and records the concentration of alcohol. But it so happens that it shows the presence of alcohol in the air exhaled by a person, but not drunk the day before. The reason is in the reaction of the device to such products and substances:

• non-alcoholic wine, beer, kvass;
• pharmacy alcoholic tinctures and medicines drunk shortly before the test;
• alcohol filling in chocolate sweets (4 pieces, eaten in a row, will leave a mark that disappears no earlier than an hour later);
• a large amount of kefir or yogurt (up to 6 liters, especially fermented);
• grapes and raisins, which give a fermentation reaction and the effect of intoxication;
• other foods such as oranges, overripe bananas, black bread, desserts;
• regular use of the inhaler can give an undesirable reaction;
• smoking a cigarette gives an indicator of up to 0.2 ppm.

In addition, some people naturally have slightly higher levels of alcohol derived from carbohydrate foods. Knowing these features and the principle of operation of the breathalyzer, it is quite possible to avoid unpleasant moments, fines and more serious consequences.

Types of breathalyzers and their classification

There are several classification signs by which breathalyzers can be divided. But first of all, when choosing them, attention is paid to the functionality of the devices:

• Alcometers related to professional equipment can be used up to 150-300 times a day, have additional equipment, and are used by large organizations and employees of the traffic police. Among them are testers of the Drager brand, which have high-quality sensors and high measurement accuracy;
• special testers can be used 5-30 times a day in medical practice, in small enterprises, in car inspections;
• club - are stationary devices with replaceable mouthpieces, they are average in quality between the first two types, are used in nightclubs, bars, restaurants, casinos and other places of recreation;
• individual - designed for self-control, and withstand about 1-4 tests per day and short-term switching on. An example is Dingo devices that run on batteries or rechargeable batteries.

Depending on the sensor used, breathalyzers are:

• semiconductor (with minimum accuracy);
• electrochemical (the highest reliability of indicators);
• infrared and photometric (retain quality over time, unlike the former).

Alcometers with and without a mouthpiece are distinguished by the presence of a plastic tube into which to blow. The latter are less accurate (the plastic duct allows air to be sucked in with less losses).

In addition, devices can have different indications, design style, and measurement ranges. For example, the Ritmix rat 301 breathalyzer, being a personal device, has visual and audible identification, measurement capabilities in the range of 0-1.9 ppm, and a semiconductor sensor. This translates into cost and makes it an affordable option for individual use.

The principle of operation of the device

Instructions for using the breathalyzer dictate the features of its use. Air analysis by the device of the device consists of the following stages:

• switching on by pressing a button;
• connection of the mouthpiece;
• exhalation of the tested person into the tube up to a double signal;
• calculation of ethanol content and displaying the total.

Air trapped in the tester supplies an electrical signal to the microprocessor, which, depending on the type of sensor, distinguishes it differently:

• in electrochemical alcometers, the emphasis is on the reaction of interaction of ethanol with reagents;
• semiconductor - designed for heating the sensor as a result of a chemical reaction;
• infrared - analyze the presence of ethyl vapors.

After reading, the measurement results are converted by an alcometer and displayed on the screen.

A device from the professional Jupiter line operates on a similar principle, which has a touch screen, the ability to adapt certain functions and register the most complete measurement results.

Norms

The test results are recorded by breathalyzers in various units of measurement - mg / l, ppm, percentages, BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration). The most common indicators are in ppm, which means a thousandth of a substance in the blood.

Before testing, you should know the existing standards:

• in Russia, the permissible dose is 0.365 ppm or 0.16 ml / l of exhaled air;
• according to the Vienna International Convention on Road Traffic, this figure is 0.8 ppm.

For the average person, 3.5 ppm is considered a lethal dose, so for a household appliance this can be the limit. But the requirements for inspections by professional breathalyzers are higher, so their range should reach 0-5 ppm.

What is the accuracy of the study?

The errors for different testers will not exceed the following marks:

• for electrochemical sensors up to 0.01 ppm, or not more than 10% of the result;
• for infrared - up to 10%;
• semiconductors can produce the largest error up to 20%.

Therefore, the latter type is not used in court, by traffic police officers, when resolving serious disputes.

Nuances of operation

Breathalyzer are easy to operate and have a display (often touchscreen), buttons for turning on and changing settings, a mouthpiece port. Depending on the type of charge, there may be a USB port or a slot for alkaline batteries.

The soundtrack helps to understand when the device has taken a sufficient amount of air for analysis, the level of charge, etc. In addition, the device is able to turn itself off if it has not been used for 30 seconds.

What factors can affect the operation of the breathalyzer?

During the test, there are a number of factors to consider that can change the readings of the device:

• elevated body temperature can increase the concentration of alcohol in the blood;
• the natural composition of the blood may have hereditary abnormalities;
• alcohol-containing substances that are in the oral cavity (aerosols, menthol lozenges, kvass, and many other products) affect the concentration of alcohol;
• evaporation of varnishes, paints, glue and other chemicals;
• ambient temperature;
• physiology and the presence of certain diseases (for example, in diabetic patients, the concentration of acetone in the exhalation may increase);
• untimely tester calibration, which must be carried out by the manufacturer every 200-250 test checks.

Breathalyzer cheating myths

Many are familiar with the breathalyzer, and most drivers are not hearsay. Therefore, lately, more and more absurd myths have appeared about how he can be deceived. Let's refute some of them:

• eating a lot of food does not neutralize the alcohol that spreads through the blood, even if physical well-being improves;
• no matter what kind of drinks were drunk, the main thing is the presence of ethanol in them;
• belching will not change the ethanol content in the lungs;

• mouthwashes, chewing gums, aerosols and other products can only mask the smell of alcohol, moreover, some of them contain alcohol;
• holding your breath will only increase the test results by up to 20%;
• copper coins or a battery in your mouth will not help reduce the alcohol content, but will only draw unnecessary attention.

Of course, in order not to get into an unpleasant situation and to avoid problems, it is best to drink in moderation, not to drive drunk, not to appear at work while intoxicated. Otherwise, the test results are difficult to predict, even if it seems to you that nothing terrible has happened, and the presence of alcohol in your blood does not affect your appearance in any way.

Many drivers often encountered traffic police inspectors on the highway, who, for one reason or another, offered the stopped person to undergo a blood alcohol test. At the same time, for testing, as a rule, a breathalyzer approved for use by regulatory authorities is offered. In this case, the device can be named in different ways. And often even experienced drivers do not quite understand what the difference is in breathalyzers, when one is called a breathalyzer and the other is called a breathalyzer.

Important: it is worth knowing that both types of devices are designed to detect the concentration of alcohol in the human body. The devices also work on the same principle. However, such mechanisms still have a fundamental difference. In the material below, we understand what exactly they are.

The popularity of blood alcohol meters

Many people often use both types of terms (breathalyzer and breathalyzer) as synonyms, which is generally acceptable. It is worth noting here that such a device is mainly in demand among traffic police officers to identify malicious offenders driving while intoxicated. However, the apparatus will be quite useful at the enterprise for checking employees who are starting their work shift. As a rule, such a small medical examination allows the employer to insure himself and his employees against accidents at work due to alcohol intoxication of one of the employees.

The use of the tester is also popular among individuals. Many drivers can additionally monitor their condition before the trip, especially if the day before there was a rest with drinking alcoholic beverages. Thus, you can save yourself from troubles with representatives of the traffic police, and other road users from a possible accident.

How the device works

Both types of devices for determining the level of alcohol in the blood work on the same principle and give a result based on the type of sensor in it. So, there are three types of receiver-indicator:

1. Electrochemical;
2. Semiconductor;
3. Infrared.

• The most productive and frequently used is considered device with an electrochemical sensor. Here, the ethanol level is determined by a chemical reaction. This, in turn, occurs between the catalyst built into the mechanism and the ethanol molecules being tested in the air. As a result of data processing, the readings are displayed on the device display or printed out on a printer.
• Semiconductor apparatus works on the basis of a porous panel that traps ethanol molecules from the air exhaled by the driver. The result is displayed on the screen. However, the popularity of this type of device is not high due to the need for frequent adjustment of the device.
• Infrared sensor is the most accurate analog instrument. However, the infrared sensor requires certain temperature and humidity conditions. In addition, the testing process itself can be significantly delayed. Since the preparation of the tester for the first test takes about 20 minutes, and the testing itself can take about 10 minutes, which is not always convenient.

Important: the infrared device is most often used in mobile laboratories.

For reference: the first device designed to detect alcohol in blood was developed and used in the United States in the 30s of the 20th century. It was then that prohibition existed in the United States. However, the first alcohol testing devices had a high percentage of error and did not always give an accurate result. Only 20 years later, German scientists were able to develop a more accurate apparatus under the Drager brand, which even today in an improved form can be found in the hands of a traffic police officer.

Classification of devices

• Professional;
• Individual (personal).

The former are designed for testing up to 500 people per day, have a memory reserve that can store up to 2000 preliminary results. Also, professional devices are equipped with a built-in printer and have a longer service life. The maximum error for such devices is up to 10% with an increased concentration of alcohol in the subject's blood. Additionally, professional devices are equipped with disposable disposable mouthpieces. As a rule, the parameters of a professional mechanism are greater than those of a personal one.

Important: traffic police officers use only professional devices, the efficiency and legality of use of which is supported by the corresponding original documents.

The second type of alcohol testing device has a shorter working life and is intended exclusively for private use. You can do no more than three blowdowns per day. And the tester's resource itself is designed for 200 tests, after which the device requires reconfiguration. Exceeding the recommended number of tests during the day can lead to damage to the apparatus. Moreover, it will first show incorrect data, and then it will completely fail. The weight of such personal devices does not exceed 200 grams.

The main differences between breathalyzer and breathalyzer devices

Having provided the reader with all the characteristics of both types of devices, we focus on the fact that it is customary to call a device for personal use as a breathalyzer. It is worth knowing that the results obtained through the breathalyzer cannot be conclusive evidence in court, since they are not legal. This justification is legitimate because a personal device does not have quality certificates, is not approved for testing by law and is not approved for legal testing by regulatory authorities. That is, a breathalyzer is just a home-use device and nothing more.

It is customary to call an alcohol meter a professional device, accompanied by all the necessary papers in the original. So, the breathalyzer must be accompanied by a quality certificate, a certificate of passing the calibration device in the relevant authorities, a document on the accuracy of the data issued by the device and a certificate from the health care authorities of the Russian Federation.

Important: if the traffic police officer does not have all of the listed documents for the breathalyzer of a specific model, then all the results obtained during the test cannot be evidence in court, since the breathalyzer in this case is used illegally.

So, from the material, the fundamental difference between the breathalyzer and the breathalyzer became visible. However, the use of these terms as synonyms in colloquial speech is permissible and not a gross error.