Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N33/00—Investigating or analysing materials by specific methods not covered by groups G01N1/00 - G01N31/00
  • G01N33/48—Biological material, e.g. blood, urine; Haemocytometers
  • G01N33/483—Physical analysis of biological material
  • G01N33/497—Physical analysis of biological material of gaseous biological material, e.g. breath
  • G01N33/4972—Determining alcohol content

Definitions

• the field of this Invention relates generally to systems, both apparatus and method, for characterizing breath samples of humans. More specifically, this Invention relates to systems employing a person's breath sample to develop a breath signature signal; this signal can then be used to (a) identify characteristics of the person and (b) detect the presence of drugs in the breath sample, particularly alcohol.
• BACKGROUND ART Although various schemes have been devised for analyzing human breath samples in order to obtain information about a per ⁇ son, particularly information relating to the person's percent blood alcohol concentration (BAC ) , there continues to be shortcomings and deficiencies in the technology. Specifically, existing breath analysis techniques simply do not provide approaches for gathering information other than BA.C about the person from a breath sample. Examples of existing technology are discussed below .
• U .S . Patent 4 , 093 , 945 to Collier et al discloses a breath test ⁇ ing system for alcohol intoxication breath testing.
• the system in- eludes (a) a breath input unit, (b) a controller which delivers a sample oi deep lung breath to (c) an evaluator including an alcohol detector and an output apparatus.
• the controller includes a breath flow sensing means to insure that a deep lung breath sample is tested. A passing signal cannot be obtained unless (a) the predetermined continuous and uninterrupted flow has occurred, and (b) the resulting sample tests below a predetermined alcohol concentration.
• U. S. Patent 4, 316, 380 discloses a system for determining the alcohol content of the breath of a test person.
• the system (a) measures the alcohol content of the breath to produce an alcohol content signal, (b) measures the change in the alcohol content sig ⁇ nal, (c) measures a flow of the breath of the test person, and (d) indicates the alcohol content using the alcohol content signal only when the change in the signal per unit time is below a pre-selected change value and the flow is above a pre-selected flow value, and further where the flow has not dropped below the predetermined flow value since it first reached the predetermined flow value.
• U. S . Patent 4, 317, 453 to Heim et al discloses a system for testing a person's breath for the determination of its alcohol con ⁇ tent.
• the system first determines when the breathing air is at a condition in which breath testing results will be effected. This is done by arranging a capacitor in a breathing tube through which the breathing air is directed. First the capacitor is heated to a predetermined temperature, and then the breathing air is directed over it so as to cool the capacitor until it has attained a predetermined temperature change. This temperature change is such that it will take place when a person's breathing air has its desired consistency. When this occurs, the breathing air is then directed into a test chamber, in which it is tested to determine the constituency of the breathing air, particularly the percentage of alcohol which it contains.
• a device for testing a person's breath in addition to the tube through which the breath is directed containing the thermal capacitor, also contains a test chamber which is connected to the tube with control means, which, senses the temperature of the capacitor and permits the flow of the gas into the test chamber only after a predetermined temperature drop has taken place.
• the apparatus includes a gas vapor sensor for receiving and analyzing the alcohol concentration vapor sensor for receiving and analyzing the alcohol concentration in the breath of the individual , an analog-to-digital converter, and a gas analyzer for detecting the rate of change of the signal gen ⁇ erated by the sensor.
• the sensor signal When the signal rate of change is at or near zero, thereby indicating the breath is deep lung air, the sensor signal is transposed to a blood alcohol concentration reading in the BAC look up table, and then compare to a pre-recorded level ob ⁇ tained from a memory, to determine the intoxication level of the in ⁇ dividual.
• a flow sensor can be provided to assure that the in- dividual is expelling a sufficient volume of air to assure a good reading.
• An auto ignition gate can be provided to disable a vehicle if the individual is found to have a BAC reading above a predeter ⁇ mined level which indicates intoxication.
• this Invention provides a system, both apparatus and method, for generating a breath signature signal for a person who delivers a breath sample to a breath sampler means.
• the apparatus comprises a transducer means , communicated with the breath sampler means, for sensing at least the temperature, the pressure and the humidity of the breath sample, and in response generating a breath signature signal which distinguishes the person from a plurality of persons .
• Additional features include apparatus and methods wherein: (a) the breath sample is a deep lung breath sample; (b) the breath signature signal comprises a frequency spectrum generated by the integration of at least the temperature, the pressure and the humidity of the breath sample; and (c) the integration is performed by the transducer.
• the validifier means for determining that the breath sample is delivered unaltered to the breath sampler.
• the validifier means first comprises a valid breath reference means, for representing the valid common range of values of at least the tem ⁇ perature, the pressure and the humidity of the typical breath samples taken from a reference population of persons.
• the validifier means second comprises a comparator means, coupled to the valid breath reference means and the transducer means, for comparing the breath signal against the valid breath reference means to determine if the breath sample is valid.
• the distinguisher means first comprises a separate class reference means for each of at least a group of four separate classes comprising respectively a plurality of males , females , children and adults.
• the class reference means contains at least the ranges of the temperatures , the pressures and the humidity of the typical breath samples characteristic of each of the classes.
• the distinguisher means second comprises the distin ⁇ guisher means being coupled to the comparator means for comparing the class reference means with the breath sample of the person, to identify the person as being both (1) one of a male and a female, and (2) one of a child and an adult.
• Another option includes a selector means for determining if a later breath sample was delivered by the same person who delivered an earlier breath sample, the selector means being communicated with the breath signature signal of both the earlier breath sample and the later breath sample, for comparing the breath signatures to see if they are the same, to thereby indicate that the same person one of (a) did and (b) did not deliver both breath samples. Also included is a recognition means for providing a positive identification of a person delivering a breath sample in the future.
• the recognition means first comprises a personal identification reference means, created by recording a specific breath signature signal produced by the transducer means in response to a specific breath sample delivered in the present by each of a group of specific persons who are to be identified in the future according to the specific breath sample to be given in the future by each of the specific persons.
• the recognition means second comprises the comparator means being communicated to the personal identification reference means and the transducer means , for comparing each of the specific breath signature samples to the values stored in the personal identification reference means, to confirm one of (1) the same person delivered both of the present and the future breath samples, and (2) the same person did not deliver both of the present and the future samples.
• Another feature adds a sensing means , communicated to the breath sampler means, for detecting the presence of a drug in the breath sample, including a drug which is an alcohol.
• This Invention begins and takes off from the point where the existing technology ends, by greatly expanding the " technology of breath sampling, to thereby permit the acquisition of new and more sophisticated information about the person giving the breath sample.
• a key feature and advantage of this Invention is that, on the basis of a single breath sample from a particular person, a breath signature signal can be generated which is unique for that par ⁇ ticular person. Once this breath signature signal is stored in some form of memory device, future breath samples generating future breath signature signals can be compared against the stored signal.
• This breath signature signal can be used in (a) establishing the validity of a breath sample, (b) distinguishing a person's sex and age on the basis of the sample, (c) selecting among a group of persons to see if two breath samples came from the person, and (d) recogniz ⁇ ing the identity of the particular person delivering the breath sample.
• the plural apparatus and method of this Invention employs a simple, sophisticated and inexpensive transducer to measure the temperature, pressure and humidity of a breath sample.
• the transducer then integrates these values together to produce a single output breath signature signal in the form of a frequency spectrum unique to the person delivering the sample.
• the frequency spectrum is then stored and used as a reference template against future breath samples.
• the existing technology requires complex apparatus to measure temperature, pressure and/or temperature and pressure together; these values are then manipulated by complex mathematical formula to obtain information about the breath sample.
• Complex flow meters are used to insure delivery of a deep breath sample. The only value measured is the BAC, and that is measured with a chemi ⁇ cal sensor.
• this Invention performs a simple joint measurement of temperature, pressure and humidity combined, in- tegrates this measurement, and produces as an output the breath signature signal.
• the apparatus of this Invention is rugged, accurate, reliable, easily calibrated and supplies breath sample information that can be used by the prosecution in a drunk driving adjudication.
• breath sample information that can be used by the prosecution in a drunk driving adjudication.
• in ⁇ stalled in a vehicle and interlocked into the vehicle's ignition sys ⁇ tem it would be impossible for an inebriated person to start the vehicle. Additional features and advantages offered by this Invention are (1) described by example below, and (2) defined in the ap ⁇ pended Claims.
• Figure 1 is a schematic diagram which shows the apparatus and method of this Invention
• FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing the voice creating sub-systems of a human body
• Figure 3A and 3B illustrate two different breath signature samples in the form of two different frequency spectrums in response to breath samples and other human sounds created by the Figure 1 schematic;
• FIG. 4 is a more detailed schematic of the apparatus and the method of this Invention.
• Figure 1 illustrates an apparatus or system 20 for performing breath signature characterization.
• a breath sampler 22 has a mouthpiece (not shown) communi ⁇ cated through a tube 24, for a person to deliver a breath sample into a chamber 26 defined within sampler 22.
• a transducer means such as transducer 28 is communicated with breath sampler 22, in this case being mounted within chamber 26 in a conventional man ⁇ ner.
• Transducer 28 senses at least the temperature, the pressure and the humidity of the breath sample admitted into chamber 26.
• transducer 28 generates a breath signature signal 30, also shown as the signal 32 arrow, which distinguishes the person giving the breath sample from a plurality of persons.
• Signal 30 can then be compared in a comparator 34 with infor ⁇ mation stored in memory 36. If this information, in the form of a memory signal 38, is substantially similar to signal 32 , comparator 34 generates an output signal 40 which says “ok” or “yes” ; this output 40 leaves through the terminal indicated with a plus sign (+) enclosed in a circle, marked with a reference numeral as a positive response 42. Signal 40 enters an interlock 44 to activate and enable circuit 46, which generates a signal 48. This signal 48 passes into an ignition system 50 to enable ignition system 50 to be operated.
• Signal 32 out of transducer 28 can be routed through a switch 52 , to be routed unchanged as the signals 32 traveling through a line 54 into comparator 34, and a line 56.
• a switch 58 receives sig ⁇ nal 56 and routes it unchanged into a recording device such as memory 36. The purpose of this approach is to provide a reference signal within memory 36 against which a future breath sample 32 en- tering comparator 34 would be compared.
• comparator 34 can be used for loading memory 36 with signals 38 for use by comparator 34 in comparing signal 32 against signal 38.
• an input device such as keyboard 60
• switch 58 can be used to feed reference signals 62 through switch 58 into memory 36. These signals 52 would emerge as signals 38 retrieved comarator 34 for comparison against breath signature 32.
• switch 58 would be thrown to block signal 32 coming from line 56.
• switch 58 is thrown to block signal 62 and admit signal 32. If comparator 34 finds that signals 32 and 38 do not match, it generates a "not ok" or "no" signal; this is indicated schematically as a negative output 66 displayed as a negative sign (-) enclosed in a circle.
• Signal 64 enters a junction 68, to emerge unchanged as indi ⁇ cated at the two additional arrows marked with reference numeral 64.
• One signal 64 feeds along a line 70 into a "not enable" block 72 , which generates an end signal. This end signal is sent to a stop device 74 to not permit ignition system 50 to be operated.
• the other signal 64 emerging from junction 68 travels along a line 76 unchanged into a storage device such as a memory 78 for recording.
• the positive signal 40 passes unchanged a junction 80 to a line 82 into memory 78 for recording.
• Memory 78 provides a record of each test made so it can be later determined how many tests were conducted, What the results of the tests were, both in terms of the breath signature signal generated as well as whether there was a pass (as at reference numeral 42) or a fail (as at reference numeral 66) , the time of day, the date and other information as desired.
• an output device 84 coupled through a line 86 to memory 78 , can retrieve a plurality of results 88 from memory 78. These results 88 will also include measurements of the percent BAC.
• Table I shows the range of information this Invention can determine from a breath sample. Table I , located after this Detailed Description and preceding the Claims, is hereby incorporated by reference into this patent application.
• the lowest level of information or robustness is in determining "validity" of a breath sample.
• the question is: has the breath sample been tampered with in order to permit the person to pass the breath test?
• Such alteration could be accomplished, for example, by passing the breath sample through a filter containing a desiccant in order to remove a drug such as alcohol. Removal of the alcohol or other drug by a desiccant will alter the humidity of the breath sample. This alteration will result in a breath signature signal which is not valid. Therefore, an ignition system could not be enabled.
• the "validity" test would be ac ⁇ complished by using an input device such as keyboard 60 to load reference values 62 into memory 36, these values 62 representing an average of the humidities, the temperatures and the pressures of breath samples from a reference population.
• the essence of this approach is to determine that the test breath sample signature sig- or not valid.
• Another example of invalidity would be a blast of a pressurized gas from a gas bottle, which gas would not exhibit the same "breath signature signal" as would air expelled from a human being.
• a human lung breath sample will have a temperature, pres- sure and humidity which would be absent from a gas sample from a pressurized gas bottle.
• memory 36 must be loaded with at least four separate tables representing the classes of breath samples from males, females , children and adults. This information most likely is loaded by way of keyboard 60 , but it could also come from actually testing members from each of these four classes with sampler 22, which could be stored and averaged for each of the four classes. Then, when breath signature signal 32 is generated by transducer 28 , comparator 34 will compare signal 32 against each of the signals 38 for each of the four classes of males, females, children and adults. From this comparison, it can be determined what is the sex and age (i.e. child or adult) of the person deliver- ing the breath sample.
• “Select” is the next higher level of intelligence. The question is : is the person who delivers a breath sample in the future the same person who delivered a breath sample in the present? To ac ⁇ complish this, memory 36 is loaded with a breath signature signal 32 produced by the particular person to be identified in the future.
• this signal stored in memory 36 is retrieved as signal 38 for comparison within comparator 34 with sig ⁇ nature 32. This will give the result of saying that both breath samples came from the same person; however, this breath sample will not positively identify a particular person by name.
• “Recognize” is the highest level of intelligence which can be determined by this Invention.
• the purpose is to positively identify the name of a person giving a future breath sample.
• the breath signature signal 32 of every person to be identified in the future must be stored in memory 36. Therefore, in the present each person must generate a breath sample in sampler 22 which is then stored as a breath signature signal 32 in memory 36. At a future time, another breath sample is taken. Comparator 34 compares this new signal 32 against each breath signature signal stored in memory 36 until the identity of the specific person by name is produced.
• Sounds such as voice and expelled breath produced by the human vocal system is a complex signal influenced by many facets of human physiology.
• the human vocal sound system is influenced by a multiplicity of chambers and solid structures.
• a chest cavity 90 Within a chest cavity 90 is at least one lung 92 powered by a diaphragm 94.
• diaphragm 94 pushes upward in a direction 96, causing the air within lung 92 to move upward into lower wind pipe 98 through voice box 100, through an upper windpipe portion 102 into an in ⁇ termediate chamber 104 which is generally designated as the pharynx.
• the breath sample continues through mouth tube 106 into a branch region 108.
• the breath sample is divided so that some of it proceeds up a nose tube 110 into a nose chamber 112 and out through a nose port 114.
• the other portion of the breath proceeds form branch region 108 into a mouth chamber 116, to be expelled from a head 120 through a mouth port 118.
• This human sound system 89 when expelling a breath sample through mouth port 118, generates a very complex sound. All of the just described chambers and structures of human sound system 89 has its own individual effect on this sound.
• the breath sample sound includes effects and characteristics resulting from the tem ⁇ perature, the pressure and the humidity of the breath sample.
• the breath sample of each individual has its own unique characteristic tempera ⁇ ture, pressure and humidity which effects the frequency spectrum of the range of frequencies of the sounds contained in the breath sample.
• Figures 3 A and 3B show two different curves 122 and 124, which are frequency spectrums typical of the kind that can be produced as a breath signature signal by this Invention, on the basis of a breath sample from a person.
• Each person produces varying amplitudes (the Y-axis) of frequency values as the frequency increases along the X-Axis. beginning at zero and moving toward the right.
• this frequency range 126 defined between the lower frequency Fl and the higher frequency F2
• it has been found that frequency spectrums representing by 122 and 124 are identifiable to particular persons. That is, a person A produc ⁇ ing a frequency spectrum 122 shown in Figure 3 A would differ from the frequency spectrum 124 made by a person B as shown in Figure 3B .
• a voice print By digitally sampling each of the curves 122, 124, etcetera for different persons, a voice print can be developed and stored in the form of a template in a computer memory. Then, a second spectrum developed as a breath signature signal can be compared to a stored template to see if they substantially overlie. If they do, then the breath sample "passes” . If they do not, the breath sample "fails".
• This Invention uses the transducer described further below, measures the values of a breath sample's temperature, pressure and humidity, and integrates these values to produce a resultant single breath signature signal 32 , which is stored as a template developed from digitally sampling the frequency spectrums 122, 124 etcetera developed as in Figure 3A and 3B . Either the frequency spectrum or the template developed from digitally sampling the frequency spectrum is then stored in memory for future comparison using sub ⁇ sequent breath samples. This becomes a voice print which can be used in the future to determine various characteristics of a breath sample.
• Figure 4 shows Figure 1 expanded to illustrate the schematic structure described with respect to Figure 1.
• the like structures of Figure 4 are numbered with the same numbers of Figure 1, and then aug ⁇ mented with A-D .
• the Figure 1 memory 36 will become the Figure 4 separate memories 36A, 36B , 36C and 36D. This ar- rangement is provided in order to permit the four characteristics discussed regarding Table I to be coupled together and selectively developed.
• a switch control 128 is connected through a line 130 to control the in ⁇ teractions among comparators 34A, 34B , 34C and 34D , as well as the interaction with interlock 44.
• Line 130 is connected through the plurality of junctions 132A, 132B , 132C and 132D to a plurality of respective switches 134A-D .
• enabling devices 136A, 136B and 136C are each individually connected to each of three respective enabling devices 136A, 136B and 136C .
• the purpose of these enables is to successively test breath signature signal 32 ac- cording to the hierarchy described in Items 1-4 on Table I.
• Memory 36B is shown as having four different "reference tables", one in each for the class of male, female, child and adult. These in turn are coupled to deliver their signals along a bus out ⁇ put signal 38B .
• Figure 4 adds the concept that the breath signature signal 32 can be sent all the way through for storage in memory 78.
• memory 78 would record each signal 32 resulting from each breath test for future recall as desired.
• a transducer capable of measuring the temperature, pressure and humidity of a breath sample, and then some form of apparatus for using these three pieces of information to produce the unique breath signature signals required.
• a transducer was desired which could both measure these values as well as in ⁇ tegrate together the measured values to produce the breath signa ⁇ ture signal; such a transducer was found, identified by the registered trademark KYNAR brand Piezo Film.
• Kynar is a trademark of the Pennwalt Corporation. This trademark is registered on the Principle Register maintained by the
• the film is a polyvinylidine fluoride (PVDF) exhibiting very high piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties. It can be used to convert mechanical deformation such as that induced by a pressure change of a breath sample, and convert a heat signal into an electrical signal, for ex ⁇ ample the heat contained in a breath sample.
• the film is produced as a thin sheet having metallized electrodes on both sides . Electricity conducting leads can be attached to the metallized electrodes for conducting a signal developed by the transducer film away for processing. Additional information about this product can be obtained from the trademark owner, who also designs and fabri ⁇ cates the film.
• the film is used as transducer 28 to (1) measure the temperature, pressure and humidity values in a breath sample, and then (2) integrate these values to produce a single output signal which is a unique breath signature signal for that particular breath sample.
• this signa- ture signal can be compared as desired against various references to (1) establish the validity of the sample, (2) distinguish the sample from those of other samples, (3) select one particular sample from a group of samples, and (4) recognize that a sample came from a par ⁇ ticular identifiable person. in order to obtain a breath sample containing a drug such as alcohol, it is preferably to measure what is commonly referred to as a "deep lung breath sample".
• a breath sample when exhaling a breath sample into sampler 22, the person can exhale for a second or two seconds before deep lung air begins being exhaled.
• deep lung breath comes from the interior remote portions of the lung, closer to the point of osmosis between the lung volume and the blood vessels interacting with the lung volume.
• a breath sample For ac ⁇ curate measurement of a drug, a breath sample must come from deep within the lung.
• a breath sample can be altered by having at least one of the temperature, pressure and the humidity altered. For example, the temperature of the gas coming from a compressed gas bottle would be below the range of temperatures commonly found in a human breath sample. This temperature variation means that the breath signature signal 32 produced in response to the gas sample would result in a "not valid" result in the comparator 34. Likewise, the gas pressure delivered by a gas bottle would be in excess of the pressure delivered by a human breath sample.

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• 1986
  • 1986-10-21 EP EP19860906656 patent/EP0243470A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1986-10-21 WO PCT/US1986/002230 patent/WO1987002773A1/en unknown
  • 1986-10-21 AU AU65235/86A patent/AU6523586A/en not_active Abandoned

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