Breath test system

Abstract

The invention relates to a breath test system that is unobtrusive in that it does not require a person subjected to the system to take any other action to breath. It comprises a sensor unit (5) configured to sense the presence or concentration of a volatile substance, present in air flowing through a predefined inlet area (4), and to generate a signal corresponding to the concentration of said substance. There is also provided an apparatus (2, 3) configured to detect the presence of a person at a position in the vicinity of said input area, and having means for registering said presence, and further configured to respond to said presence by delivering an output. This said apparatus includes a unit configured to call for immediate attention of said person, upon said registration of the presence of said person, and a unit configured to provide instructions to said person to direct an expiratory air flow towards said inlet area (4). An analyzer (10) for the determination of breath substance concentration of said person is also provided, the determination being based on said signal corresponding to the substance concentration.

1 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A breath test system for determining the concentration of a volatile substance present in a breath of air, said breath test system comprising:
 a chamber having an inlet for receiving a breath of air, an outlet, and a lumen extending between said inlet and said outlet;   an electromagnetic emitter configured to emit light into said lumen of said chamber;   at least one electromagnetic detector configured to detect light emitted by said electromagnetic emitter after said light has passed through said lumen, said at least one electromagnetic detector being configured to generate a signal corresponding to at least one characteristic of said light after said light has passed through said lumen and been received by said at least one electromagnetic detector;   said light emitted by said electromagnetic emitter and detected by said at least one electromagnetic detector being directed along an optical path contained within said chamber;   an analyzer for analyzing the signal generated by said at least one electromagnetic detector so as to determine (i) whether a breath of air has entered said lumen of said chamber; and (ii) if a breath of air has entered said lumen of said chamber, the concentration of the volatile substance present in a breath of air.   
     
     
         17 . The breath test system according to  claim 16 , wherein said breath test system comprises a first electromagnetic detector providing a first signal corresponding to the concentration of the volatile substance within the breath of air and a second electromagnetic detector providing a second signal corresponding to the concentration of a tracer substance within the breath of air, said determination of the concentration of the volatile substance present in the breath of air taking said tracer substance concentration into account. 
     
     
         18 . The breath test system according to  claim 16 , wherein said volatile substance is acetone, acetaldehyde, methanol, ethanol, carbon monoxide, methane, ethane, propane, pentane, hexane, heptane, octane, isoprene, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, ethyl acetate, dimethyl ether, diethyl ether, benzene, toluene, methyl ethyl ketone, or methyl isobutyl ketone or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The breath test system according to  claim 16 , wherein a response time of said breath test system is shorter than one second. 
     
     
         20 . The breath test system according to  claim 16 , wherein said system comprises registration means for registering the presence of a person in the vicinity of said inlet, wherein the registration means comprises a microphone, and means for identification of the person using voice recognition, and further wherein said system further comprises a camera or other optical detector, and means for identification of the person using image analysis, bar code reading or biometrics. 
     
     
         21 . The breath test system according to  claim 17 , wherein said first electromagnetic detector and said second electromagnetic detector are based on substance-specific infrared absorption in predetermined wavelength bands, and further wherein said predetermined wavelength band for said first electromagnetic detector is 9.1-9.9 μm corresponding to ethyl alcohol, and said predetermined wavelength band for said second electromagnetic detector is 4.2-4.3 μm corresponding to CO 2 . 
     
     
         22 . The breath test system according to  claim 16 , comprising means for active transport of air from said inlet to said at least one electromagnetic detector and said outlet. 
     
     
         23 . The breath test system according to  claim 16 , wherein attention of a person is called for by coordinated flashing of a light, and a distinctive sound combined with a specific symbol or icon representing said breath test. 
     
     
         24 . The breath test system according to  claim 16 , wherein said system is configured to provide instructions to a person in the vicinity of said inlet to direct a breath of air into said inlet such that the breath of air enters said lumen of said chamber, wherein said instructions are provided to the person verbally or as text message, step by step and with the level of detail provided to the person increasing with time. 
     
     
         25 . The breath test system according to  claim 16 , wherein said breath test system further comprises a display for communicating messages of text, symbols, icons or images, or a loudspeaker for communicating recorded spoken messages, or symbolic sound tracks. 
     
     
         26 . The breath test system according to  claim 16 , wherein said determination of the concentration of the volatile substance present in the breath of air accounts for quality criteria, wherein said quality criteria includes at least one of a concentration of tracer gas exceeding a predefined threshold and background variations of said signal being below a predefined upper limit. 
     
     
         27 . The breath test system according to  claim 16 , wherein said system is integrated into the interior of the vehicle compartment or an entrance of building or a workplace. 
     
     
         28 . The breath test system according to  claim 16 , wherein the total test time of said breath test system does not exceed five seconds. 
     
     
         29 . The breath test system according to  claim 16 , further comprising capacitive and inductive electronic elements for protective purposes, and wherein said at least one electromagnetic detector and associated analog input stages is equipped with differential preamplifiers in order to suppress the influence of common mode interference. 
     
     
         30 . The breath test system according to  claim 16 , wherein said breath test system is confined in a box adapted to be wall-mounted in such a way that means for registering a presence of a person and said inlet are located on one side of the box and thereby accessible through a hole in the wall to which said breath test system is mounted. 
     
     
         31 . A method for determining the concentration of a volatile substance present in a breath of air, said method comprising:
 providing a breath test system comprising:
 a chamber having an inlet for receiving a breath of air, an outlet, and a lumen extending between said inlet and said outlet; 
 an electromagnetic emitter configured to emit light into said lumen of said chamber; 
 at least one electromagnetic detector configured to detect light emitted by said electromagnetic emitter after said light has passed through said lumen, said at least one electromagnetic detector being configured to generate a signal corresponding to at least one characteristic of said light after said light has passed through said lumen and been received by said at least one electromagnetic detector; 
 said light emitted by said electromagnetic emitter and detected by said at least one electromagnetic detector being directed along an optical path contained within said chamber; 
 an analyzer for analyzing the signal generated by said at least one electromagnetic detector so as to determine (i) whether a breath of air has entered said lumen of said chamber; and (ii) if a breath of air has entered said lumen of said chamber, the concentration of the volatile substance present in a breath of air; 
   passing a breath of air into said lumen of said chamber;   using said electromagnetic emitter to emit light into said lumen of said chamber such that said light passes through said breath of air in said lumen of said chamber, such that said light is detected by said at least one electromagnetic detector so as to generate said signal;   analyzing said signal so as to determine (i) whether a breath of air has entered said lumen of said chamber; and (ii) if a breath of air has entered said lumen of said chamber, the concentration of the volatile substance present in a breath of air.   
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein said breath test system comprises a first electromagnetic detector providing a first signal corresponding to the concentration of the volatile substance within the breath of air and a second electromagnetic detector providing a second signal corresponding to the concentration of a tracer substance within the breath of air, said determination of the concentration of the volatile substance present in the breath of air taking said tracer substance concentration into account. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein said volatile substance is acetone, acetaldehyde, methanol, ethanol, carbon monoxide, methane, ethane, propane, pentane, hexane, heptane, octane, isoprene, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, ethyl acetate, dimethyl ether, diethyl ether, benzene, toluene, methyl ethyl ketone, or methyl isobutyl ketone or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein a response time of said breath test system is shorter than one second. 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein said system comprises registration means for registering the presence of a person in the vicinity of said inlet, wherein said registration means comprises a microphone, and means for identification of the person using voice recognition, and further wherein said system further comprises a camera or other optical detector, and means for identification of the person using image analysis, bar code reading or biometrics. 
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 32 , wherein said first electromagnetic detector and said second electromagnetic detector are based on substance-specific infrared absorption in predetermined wavelength bands, and further wherein said predetermined wavelength band for said first electromagnetic detector is 9.1-9.9 μm corresponding to ethyl alcohol, and said predetermined wavelength band for said second electromagnetic detector is 4.2-4.3 μm corresponding to CO 2 . 
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 31 , comprising means for active transport of air from said inlet to said at least one electromagnetic detector and said outlet. 
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 31 , further comprising calling attention to a person, wherein the attention of the person is called for by coordinated flashing of a light, and a distinctive sound combined with a specific symbol or icon representing said breath test. 
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein said method further comprises providing instructions to a person in the vicinity of said inlet to direct a breath of air into said inlet such that the breath of air enters said lumen of said chamber, wherein said instructions are provided to the person verbally or as text message, step by step and with the level of detail provided to the person increasing with time. 
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein said breath test system further comprises a display for communicating messages of text, symbols, icons or images, or a loudspeaker for communicating recorded spoken messages, or symbolic sound tracks. 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein said determination of the concentration of the volatile substance present in the breath of air accounts for quality criteria, wherein said quality criteria includes at least one of a concentration of tracer gas exceeding a predefined threshold and background variations of said signal being below a predefined upper limit. 
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein said system is integrated into the interior of the vehicle compartment or an entrance of building or a workplace. 
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein the total test time of said breath test system does not exceed five seconds. 
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 31 , further comprising capacitive and inductive electronic elements for protective purposes, and wherein said at least one electromagnetic detector and associated analog input stages is equipped with differential preamplifiers in order to suppress the influence of common mode interference. 
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein said breath test system is confined in a box adapted to be wall-mounted in such a way that means for registering a presence of a person and said inlet are located on one side of the box and thereby accessible through a hole in the wall to which said breath test system is mounted.