SAFETY AND DETECTION OF BREATHALCOHOL CONTENT DEVICES

Abstract

Electrochemical sensors commonly used in breathalyzer devices detect the alcohol concentration in a fluid sample. The fluid sample is introduced into the electrochemical sensor, and a current is generated by the oxidation of alcohol within the fluid. The electrical output from the electrochemical sensor, plotted over time, forms an output curve, which can be used to estimate the alcohol concentration in the fluid sample. The technology disclosed herein includes various procedures for determining the amount of an electrochemically convertible substance in a fluid sample using a breathalyzer device, including detecting the water saturation level of the fluid sample. The disclosed technology involves measuring the electrochemical sensor outputs to quantify the alcohol content of the fluid sample.

Description

SAFETY AND DETECTION OF BREATHALCOHOL CONTENT DEVICES Cross-reference to related applications This application claims priority rights to Provisional United States Patent Application No. 62 / 790.902 entitled Breath Alcohol Tester Security and Sensing and filed on January 10, 2019, which is specifically incorporated herein by reference for all that is disclosed or made known. Background Handheld breathalyzer devices are useful for roadside blood alcohol level (BAL) estimation in drivers, workplace BAL estimation in employees, and other scenarios. Electrochemical sensors are commonly used in these devices to detect the alcohol concentration in a fluid sample. The fluid sample (e.g., a breath sample, which may include gases, liquids, and mixtures thereof) is introduced into the electrochemical sensor, and a current is generated by the oxidation of alcohol within the fluid. The electrical output from the electrochemical sensor, plotted over time, forms an output curve, which can be used to estimate the alcohol concentration in the fluid sample. Summary The implementations described and claimed herein address the above problems by providing a breath alcohol content device comprising an electrochemical sensor rnzQnn / iznz / e / v for converting an electrochemically convertible substance in a fluid sample to an electrical output in contact with the electrochemical sensor, a humidity sensor for detecting the water saturation level of the fluid sample, a microprocessor for calculating an amount of the electrochemically convertible substance in the fluid sample using the electrical output from the electrochemical sensor and the detected water saturation level of the fluid sample, and a memory for storing the calculated amount of the electrochemically convertible substance. The implementations described and claimed herein address the above problems by additionally providing a wireless communication antenna. The microprocessor is further designed to monitor available wireless data networks via the wireless communication antenna, establish a wireless data connection with a pre-approved wireless network upon its detection, and load the calculated quantity of the electrochemically convertible substance stored in memory into network storage connected to the pre-approved wireless network. This document also describes and recites other implementations. Brief description of the drawings Figure 1 is a front perspective view of an example breath alcohol content device incorporating the safety and / or detection functionalities disclosed herein. Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of an example breath alcohol content device incorporating the safety and / or detection functionalities disclosed herein. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example electronic circuit of a breath alcohol content device that incorporates the safety and / or detection functionalities disclosed in this document. Figure 4 is an example operations flowchart for determining the amount of an electrochemically convertible substance in a fluid sample that includes a mixture of a test subject's breath and ambient air. Figure 5 is an example operations flow diagram for determining the amount of an electrochemically convertible substance in a sample of dry gas or wet bath calibration fluid. Figure 6 is an example operations flowchart for loading stored quantities of an electrochemically convertible substance from a breath alcohol measuring device into a network storage. Detailed description The technology disclosed herein includes various procedures for determining the amount of an electrochemically convertible substance in a fluid sample using a breath alcohol content device (or other fluid analysis apparatus). The fluid sample may be a gas, liquid, or a gas / liquid mixture (e.g., a breath sample, ambient air, a calibration standard, and so on). The disclosed technology involves measuring electrochemical (or fuel cell) sensor outputs to quantify the alcohol content of the fluid sample. Figure 1 is a front perspective view of an example breath alcohol content device 100 incorporating the safety and / or detection features disclosed herein. During calibration checks or a recalibration procedure, a sample of calibration standard fluid (not shown, see, for example, calibration standard fluid sample 226 in Figure 2) is taken from a sample inlet (not shown, see, for example, sample inlet 202 in Figure 2) of the device 100. During use, a breath fluid sample is also taken from a test subject (not shown, see, for example, user breath sample 228 in Figure 2) from the sample inlet of the device 100. An electrochemically convertible substance in the fluid sample is converted into an electrochemical sensor (not shown; see, for example, electrochemical sensor 338 in Figure 3) that produces an electrical output. The electrical output is measured to produce sensor readings that determine the quantity of the electrochemically convertible substance within the fluid sample. The determined quantity can be displayed on a display 108 (for example, as a percentage of alcohol in the fluid sample or a breath alcohol content measurement). The determined quantity can also be automatically or selectively stored in a device memory (not shown; see, for example, memory 304 in Figure 3) for later retrieval. The device 100 may additionally include user input buttons 110, as well as an on / off button 112.The 108 display can be rnzQnn / iznz / e / Y additionally a touch screen with input, power and / or other functions on it. Device 100 may additionally include a data / power port 106 that allows the device to be powered externally and charged to the extent that Device 100 includes built-in rechargeable batteries (not shown; see, for example, battery 358 in Figure 3). The data / power port 106 also allows Device 100 to be physically connected to a network server 122 for data transfer operations. In other implementations, the data / power port 106 is split into two separate ports, one for power input and one for data transfer. Device 100 can be additionally equipped with wireless communication capabilities that allow it to establish a secure wireless connection to a wireless network. This wireless network also has a network server and network storage connected to it. After establishing the secure wireless connection to the network server, Device 100 can automatically upload sensor measurements from its memory to the network storage. This upload can be performed without user input or knowledge. The wireless network can operate using a variety of communication standards (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, cellular) and over a range of distances.In various implementations, sensor measurements can be erased or marked for erasure from device memory after successful loading of the sensor measurements into network storage 124. In other implementations, the secure wireless connection 120 can also be used to manage the hardware and / or software of device 100, including but not limited to performing device health diagnostics, installing software updates, and downloading data collected by device 100. In various implementations, these additional features may or may not be performed with device user input and may or may not occur with the device user's knowledge. In an example use case, a device user (e.g., a police officer) uses Device 100 to measure a test subject's level of intoxication. If Device 100 determines an amount of controlled substance exceeding a legally defined threshold, the device user may charge the test subject with a violation of the law, detain the test subject, and / or subject the test subject to further testing. If Device 100 determines that the amount of controlled substance does not exceed the legally defined threshold, the device user may subject the subject to further testing and / or release the test subject. Since the action taken regarding the test subject depends on the device user, the device user may be influenced by the test subject or a third party (e.g., through bribery, persuasion, punishment, etc.) to fail to take appropriate action in response to Device 100 determining that the quantity of controlled substance exceeds the threshold. In some implementations, Device 100 includes additional safety features to prevent, discourage, and / or avoid the device user taking an action inconsistent with the device output. More specifically, these additional safety features may prevent the Device 100 user from intentionally ignoring or deleting a given quantity reading from Device 100 or from unintentionally ignoring (e.g., forgetting) a given quantity reading from Device 100. For example, the device user may be denied access to the device memory, and any or all of the determined quantities are automatically stored within the device memory as they are determined. Additionally, device 100 may be equipped with wireless communication capabilities that will upload the determined quantities to network storage 124 for processing without user input. Specifically, device 100 may store an array of determined quantities, each with a timestamp, over time. When the device user returns to a central location (for example, a police station), device 100 may automatically detect the secure wireless network 118 and automatically upload the determined quantities to network storage 124 via the network server 122 for processing.The specified quantities stored on device 100 can then be marked for deletion, actively purged, and / or recycled as new specified quantities are stored (e.g., first-in, first-out data purging). In other implementations, the device 100 can maintain a cellular or GPS data signal while in use in the field and automatically upload the determined quantities to network storage 124 as they are taken. In this implementation, the device 100 can either omit or not use its internal memory to store the determined quantities, or the device 100 can also use its internal memory to store the determined quantities for redundancy. In some implementations, the specified amounts are subsequently checked against the device user's violation notification mechanism (e.g., police reports) to verify any discrepancies. Additionally, automatically uploading the specified amounts can serve as a safeguard against claims that the data was manipulated by the device user or a third party during the upload process. Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of an example breath alcohol content device 200 incorporating safety and / or detection features disclosed herein. During calibration checks or a recalibration procedure, a sample of calibration standard fluid 226 is taken at the sample inlet 202 of the device 200. During use, a test fluid sample 250 is also taken from the breath of a test subject 228 at the sample inlet 202 of the device 200.The sample inlet 202 may include a sample port 232 and a sensor port 214. The calibration standard fluid sample 226 or the fluid test sample 250 is drawn into the sample port 232 via a pump internal to the device 200 (not shown; see, for example, pump 336 in Figure 3). The sample 226 / 250 then exits the device 200 through an outlet port (not shown) in a housing 216 of the device 200. In some implementations, the device 200 does not include a dedicated outlet port because the housing 216 may not be airtight. The sensor port 214 connects to a humidity sensor (not shown; see, for example, humidity sensor 352 in Figure 3) that enables additional sensing functionalities disclosed herein.In some implementations, sensor port 214 can be connected to additional sensors (for example, a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor). In other implementations, sample port 232 and sensor port 214 are combined into a single physical port in housing 216. An electrochemically convertible substance in sample 226 / 250 is converted into an electrochemical sensor (not shown; see, for example, electrochemical sensor 338 in Figure 3) that produces an electrical output. The electrical output is measured to produce sensor readings to determine the quantity of the electrochemically convertible substance within sample 226 / 228. The determined quantity can be displayed on a display (not shown; see, for example, display 108 in Figure 1). The determined quantity can also be automatically or selectively stored in a device memory (not shown; see, for example, memory 304 in Figure 3) for later retrieval. In various implementations, the device 200 can be used to perform active and / or passive sensor measurements. In one implementation where the device 200 is used to perform active sensor measurements, a test subject places their mouth over the sample inlet 202 (or over a mouthpiece (not shown) attached to the sample inlet 202) and blows directly into the device 200. As a result, the entire sample collected by the sample port 232 and measured by the electrochemical sensor is the breath of the test subject 228. This produces a consistent and accurate measurement of the breath alcohol content of the test subject 228. In contrast, passive sensor measurements are performed by having a test subject blow into sample inlet 202 without placing their mouth in contact with sample inlet 202 or using a mouthpiece to ensure that all the sample received by sample port 232 is the breath of test subject 228. A portion of the sample collected by sample port 232 is not the breath of test subject 228 because it mixes with ambient air 230 as it passes from the test subject's mouth to sample port 232 without a seal between them. In various implementations, a calculated amount of the electrochemically convertible substance in the breath of test subject 228 using the aforementioned passive sensor measurements (or a passive test) is within approximately 12% (or approximately 25% or approximately 5%) of a similarly calculated amount of the electrochemically convertible substance in the breath of test subject 228 actively collected through a mouthpiece attached to the breath alcohol content device (i.e., through active sensor measurements (or an active test)). In the context mentioned above, approximately means + / - 1%. A pressure sensor (not shown; see, for example, pressure sensor 334 in Figure 3) is located just inside sensor port 214, which acts as a trigger for device 200 to take a sample when it detects a slight increase in air pressure caused by the test subject blowing into sample inlet 202. Passive sensor measurements are generally desirable because they can be taken quickly and from multiple test subjects without the need to change mouthpieces or disinfect sample inlet 202. In addition, test subjects may be more compliant with the test if they do not have to physically touch device 200 with their mouth.However, an accurate determination of the breath alcohol content of test subject 228 typically suffers compared to active sensor measurements because the breath of test subject 228 is mixed with an unknown amount of ambient air 230 before entering the sample port 232. This dilution factor typically renders passive sensor measurements as a pass / fail test rather than yielding an accurate reading of the test subject's breath alcohol concentration. To provide more accurate passive sensor measurements, the 200 device includes a humidity sensor (not shown; see, for example, humidity sensor 352 in Figure 3) within sensor port 214. The humidity sensor monitors ambient humidity (or water saturation level) over time to determine and track the ambient air humidity level, which is lower than that in the breath of the test subject 228 in most environments. Additionally, the 200 device can be configured to extract a blank sample of ambient air only 230 to determine ambient humidity immediately before performing a passive sensor measurement. In other implementations, the 200 device can extract a humidity level from a local weather service if connected to a cellular (or other) data network to determine ambient humidity.In further implementations, the device 200 can have multiple humidity sensors, at least one inside sensor port 214 to test the humidity of the test sample 250 and at least one other oriented on an opposite side of the device 200 to monitor ambient humidity. After detecting the increase in air pressure caused by the test subject blowing into sample inlet 202, the humidity sensor takes another humidity measurement which it associates with test sample 250. Assuming that the test subject's breath is a saturated fluid, a microprocessor inside device 200 (not shown, see, for example, microprocessor 356 in Figure 3) can calculate a proportional relative content of test sample 250 between ambient air 230 and the test subject's breath 228.Once a ratio of test sample 250 to test subject 228 breath is determined, the microprocessor can calculate the breath alcohol content, correct the ratio of test sample 250 to test subject 228 breath, and issue a breath alcohol test result with accuracy comparable to an active sensor measurement, or at least better than a passive sensor measurement without humidity correction. An example formula for calculating breath alcohol content in a passive test using a moisture sensor is as follows. BrA C = CA of measured sample / fe and fe = (Hs- Ha) / (Hb- Ha), in which rnzonn / iznz / e / Y BrAC is the user's calculated breath alcohol content, CA of measured sample is the alcohol content (CA) in the breath of the measured sample, fe is a fraction of the measured test sample that is the breath of the test subject, Hs is the moisture measurement of the test sample, Ha is the measurement of ambient humidity, and Hb is the measurement of breath moisture of the test subject (which can be assumed to be 100%, or fully saturated). Note that the formulas above use absolute humidity, whereas the humidity sensor may output relative humidity measurements. A conversion factor may need to be applied to convert measured relative humidity to absolute humidity before applying the formulas above. The device 200 may also include a temperature sensor (not shown; see, for example, Other Sensor or Sensors 354 in Figure 3) within sensor port 214 to further track temperature and correctly apply a temperature-dependent conversion factor. As discussed previously, breath alcohol detectors or measuring devices (e.g., Device 200) commonly use electrochemical sensors to measure the ethanol content of a test subject's breath. Such sensors have proven to be cost-effective, accurate, and highly immune to interfering substances; however, their performance can change over time. To ensure that Device 200 remains accurate, it is periodically adjusted to a specific calibration standard. rnzQnn / iznz / e / Y A calibration standard known as a wet bath is achieved using a solution of ethanol and water in a device called a simulator. Air is pumped or blown through the simulator, where it collects the ethanol. The simulator's output provides a reliable and accurate ethanol gas mixture that can be used to test accuracy and allows a user to calibrate and adjust the Device 200 or a similar device. Simulators are not ideal, however, as they require power, take time to warm up, and are not very portable. Furthermore, the gas in a simulator changes as it is used because the ethanol is consumed as air is blown through the simulator. Another calibration standard, known as a dry gas standard, is achieved using a mixture of ethanol and nitrogen in a compressed cylinder, resulting in a highly precise and accurate gas mixture. Dry gas calibration standards offer excellent portability and accuracy without some of the drawbacks inherent in simulators, such as power requirements, warm-up time, etc. Readings from dry gas cylinders using electrochemical sensors can consistently deviate by approximately -4% (or 4%, + / -1%) when compared to a wet bath calibration standard, complicating their use for testing and calibration. A device manufacturer can design around this deviation by requiring an end user to select the calibration standard within the device itself. The device then applies a correction factor of approximately 4% or adjusts the concentration of the ethanol and nitrogen mixture to compensate for the approximately 4% deviation. rnzQnn / iznz / e / Y The Device 200 is calibrated periodically to ensure that it performs sensor measurements within a predefined range of accuracy. Calibration checks and recalibration procedures are typically performed in a laboratory where one or both of the wet bath and dry gas calibration standards are available. The wet bath standard emits a water-saturated gas used to test the calibration of the Device 200. The dry gas standard emits a gas that is almost completely unsaturated with water, also used to test the calibration of the Device 200. Prior art solutions require a laboratory technician to select on the Device 200 whether the calibration standard used is a wet bath or a dry gas. This adds a step of complexity to the procedure, is time-consuming, and increases the potential for the laboratory technician to make a mistake by entering the wrong procedure.In addition, the lab may use both procedures for cross-checking fine-tuning, which can frustrate a lab technician who is expected to change device settings repeatedly as the test procedure changes. The humidity sensor described above can be used to detect which of the wet bath and dry gas standards is being used to calibrate the 200 device in real time, without user input. This reduces the potential for user error in selecting the appropriate standard and can save time, as a lab technician is not expected to change device settings for each test, or at least not when the lab switches between wet bath and dry gas standards. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example electronic circuit rnzQnn / iznz / e / Y 300 of a breath alcohol content device (e.g., the breath alcohol content device 100 in Figure 1) that incorporates the safety and / or detection functionalities disclosed herein. A pressure sensor 334 can detect a pressure increase at a sensor port (not shown; see, for example, sensor port 214 in Figure 2) of the breath alcohol content device, which triggers a pump 336 to draw a test sample into an electrochemical sensor (or fuel cell) 338. A microprocessor 356 reads a clock 340 and records a start time after the test sample is introduced into the electrochemical sensor 338. An amplifier 342 amplifies an output from the electrochemical sensor 338 and can be conditioned to reduce noise and scaling.The conditioned analog output is converted into a digital signal for analysis by the analog-to-digital converter 344 and placed in device memory 304. More specifically, at predefined periodic intervals beginning at the start time, the microprocessor 356 signals memory 304 to record the sensor measurements. This signal causes the analog-to-digital converter 344 to capture the analog sensor output amplitude and memory 304 to store a digital representation of the output amplitude, which can be a current or voltage value. The microprocessor 356 reads the sensor measurements from memory 304, determines a quantity of the electrochemically convertible substance within the fluid sample, and outputs the determined quantity back to memory 304 or to an external memory or storage device. rnzQnn / iznz / e / Y An input / output (I / O) interface 346 provides a connection between the microprocessor 356 and memory 304 and one or more user interface devices (e.g., the display 308, user input buttons 310, etc.), enabling communication of sensor measurements from memory 304 to the user and / or allowing the user to provide instructions to the electronic circuit 300. The I / O interface 346 may also include a data / power port 306 that enables a physical data and / or power connection to the electronic circuit 300. The data / power port 306 may allow sensor measurements to be loaded from memory 304 and / or updated software to be downloaded to memory 304. In addition, the data / power port 306 may be used to charge the battery 358, which can be used to power the breath alcohol content device. In various implementations, the electronic circuit 300 also incorporates a wireless communication antenna 348 connected to the microprocessor 356 and memory 304 via the I / O interface 346. The microprocessor 356 uses the antenna 348 to scan for an available and approved wireless network 318. Upon detecting the wireless network 318, the microprocessor 356 can establish a secure wireless connection 320 to a network server 322 within the wireless network 318 and to a network storage device 324 connected to it. The microprocessor 356 can automatically upload sensor measurements from measurement memory 304 to network storage 324 after establishing a secure wireless connection 320 to the network server 322. This upload can be accomplished without user input from the electronic circuit 300 rnzonn / iznz / e / Y and can also be performed without the user's knowledge. This upload can also be encrypted to prevent tampering with the uploaded data or to address privacy concerns. The wireless network 318 can operate using a variety of communication standards (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, cellular) and over a variety of distances. In various implementations, sensor measurements can be erased or marked for erasure from memory 304 after a successful upload of the sensor measurements to network storage 324. In other implementations, the secure wireless connection 320 can also be used to remotely manage the electronic circuit 300 and an associated device, including but not limited to performing device health diagnostics, installing software updates, and downloading data collected by the electronic circuit 300. In various implementations, these additional features may or may not be performed with user input and may or may not occur with user knowledge. The electronic circuit 300 can also be used to take a passive sensor measurement, as described with reference to Figure 2. A pressure sensor 334 is located just inside a sample port (not shown; see, for example, sample port 232 in Figure 2), which acts as a trigger for the electronic circuit 300 to take a sample when it detects a slight increase in air pressure caused by a user blowing into the sample port. To provide more accurate passive sensor measurements, the electronic circuit 300 includes a humidity sensor 352 within an adjacent sensor port (not shown; see, for example, sensor port 214 in Figure 2). The humidity sensor 352 monitors the ambient humidity over time to determine and track the ambient air humidity level, which is lower than that of the test subject's breath in most environments.In some implementations, other 354 sensors track additional environmental factors that may affect passive sensor measurement (e.g., temperature and barometric pressure). Upon detecting a rapid increase in air pressure caused by a user blowing into the sample port (for example, via a barometric pressure sensor 354), the humidity sensor 352 takes another humidity measurement, which it associates with the user's test sample. Assuming the test subject's breath is a saturated fluid, the microprocessor 356 calculates the relative proportion of the test sample to ambient air versus the test subject's breath. Once a proportion of the sample that is the test subject's breath is determined, the microprocessor 356 can calculate the breath alcohol content, correct for the proportion of the sample that is the test subject's breath, and output a breath alcohol test result with an accuracy comparable to active sensor measurement, or at least better than passive sensor measurement without humidity correction.In various implementations, device sensors for pressure, humidity, and temperature can be combined into a single instrument that has a single port or multiple ports, or separated into different instruments or some combination thereof. The electronic circuit 300 can also be used to calibrate an associated breath alcohol content device, as described with reference to a breath alcohol content device 200 in Figure 2. The humidity sensor 352 can be used to detect which of the wet bath and dry gas patterns is being used to calibrate the device in real time, without user input. Since the wet bath pattern is a water-saturated gas and the dry gas pattern is a gas that is almost completely unsaturated with water, the humidity sensor 352 can distinguish between the two. For example, the humidity sensor 352 can focus on the slope of a humidity curve over time. The microprocessor 356 can assume that the calibration pattern is a wet bath until the slope of the humidity curve drops rapidly toward 0%. Such a drop would trigger the microprocessor 356 to select the dry gas pattern.In another implementation, humidity level ranges are set for each calibration procedure (e.g., 0–10% for a dry gas standard and 90–100% for a wet bath standard). The 356 microprocessor selects the appropriate standard based on the detected humidity level. This example also provides an erroneous humidity level (e.g., 11%–89%), which may indicate a problem with the test apparatus and prompt the laboratory technician to check the equipment, and perhaps automatically invalidate an associated test. A separate computer system (e.g., the 322 network server) may also be used to implement some of the functional aspects of the 300 electronic circuit or to add additional functional aspects. The computer system may be capable of executing a computer program product embedded in a tangible, computer-readable storage medium to perform a computer procedure. Data and program files may be input into the computer system, which reads the files and executes the programs using one or more processors. Some of the elements of the computer system may include an I / O section, a central processing unit (e.g., processor), and program memory.There may be one or more processors, such that the computer system's processor comprises a single main control unit or a plurality of processing units, commonly referred to as a parallel processing environment. The computer system may be a conventional computer, a distributed computer, or any other type of computer. The described technology is optionally implemented in software loaded into memory stored on a storage unit and / or communicates via a wired or wireless network link using a carrier signal, thereby transforming the computer system into a special-purpose machine for performing the described operations. The I / O section of the computer system may connect to one or more user interface devices (e.g., a breathalyzer, keyboard, display unit, etc.) and / or storage units (e.g., 324-bit network storage, other storage units, memory, etc.). Computer software products containing mechanisms for implementing the systems and procedures according to the described technology may reside on the storage unit or units of such a system. rnzQnn / iznz / e / Y A communication interface can connect the computer system and / or electronic circuit 300 to the wireless network 318, through which the computer system and / or electronic circuit 300 can receive instructions and data embedded in a carrier wave. When used in a local area network (LAN) environment, the computer system connects (either wired or wirelessly) to a local network via the network interface or adapter, which is a type of communication device. When used in a wide area network (WAN) environment, the computer system typically includes a modem, network adapter, or other type of communication device to establish communication across the wide area network. In a networked environment, program modules related to the computer system, or portions thereof, can be stored on a remote memory storage device.It is noted that the network connections described are illustrative and that other means and communication devices may be used to establish a communication link between the computer system, the electronic circuit 300 and the wireless network 318. In an example implementation, a user interface software module and other modules can be incorporated using stored-memory instructions (for example, memory 304) and / or a storage unit and executed by a processor (for example, the 356 microprocessor). Additionally, local computer systems, data sources, and / or remote services, and other associated logic representing firmware, hardware, and / or software, can be configured to assist in obtaining breath alcohol content measurements. A breath alcohol content computer procedure rnzQnn / iznz / e / Y can be implemented using a general-purpose computer and specialized software (such as a server running service software), a special-purpose computer system and specialized software (such as a mobile device or network appliance running service software), or other computer configurations.In addition, measurements and calculations of breath alcohol content can be stored in memory 304 and executed by microprocessor 356. It should be understood that the breath alcohol content computer procedure can be implemented in software running on a standalone computer system, whether or not it is connected to a breath alcohol content device. In another implementation, the breath alcohol content computer procedure can be integrated into a device (e.g., a breath alcohol content device). Data storage and / or memory can be incorporated through various storage media, such as hard disk drives, a storage array containing multiple storage devices, optical media, solid-state drive technology, read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), and other technologies. Operations can be implemented in firmware, software, wired circuitry, gate array technology, and other technologies, if executed and assisted by a microprocessor, a microprocessor core, a microcontroller, special-purpose circuitry, or other processing technologies. For the purposes of this description and the meaning of the claims, the terms "computer-readable storage medium" and "memory" refer to a tangible (or non-transient) data storage device, including non-volatile memories (such as flash memory, disk drives, and the like) and volatile memories (such as dynamic random-access memory and the like). Computer instructions reside either permanently or temporarily in memory, along with other information such as data, virtual correlations, operating systems, applications, and the like, which are accessed by a computer processor to perform the desired functionality. The terms "computer-readable storage medium" and "memory" do not expressly include a transient medium such as a carrier signal, but computer instructions may be transferred to memory wirelessly. Figure 4 is a sample operations flowchart for determining the amount of an electrochemically convertible substance in a fluid sample that includes a mixture of a test subject's breath and ambient air. In various implementations, a user selects a test mode on a breath alcohol detection device before the device performs operations 400. Introduction operation 402 introduces a fluid sample into an electrochemical sensor. This operation can be performed by a user breathing into the breath alcohol detection device during a passive test, for example. The passive test may introduce an unknown quantity of ambient air along with the test subject's breath into the breath alcohol detection device. The test subject's breath passes adjacent to the electrochemical sensor within the breath alcohol detection device. The conversion operation 404 electrochemically converts at least a portion of the fluid sample into an electrical output from the electrochemical sensor. In various implementations, the electrochemical sensor is a fuel cell device that uses the alcohol content in the fluid sample to generate the fuel cell output. The measurement operation 406 measures the electrical output from the electrochemical sensor on a periodic basis to produce sensor readings. The calculation operation 408 sums the area under the electrochemical sensor output curve to calculate the total amount of the electrochemically convertible substance within the fluid sample. In various implementations, the calculated amounts can be stored in memory for further analysis. Detection operation 410 detects a water saturation level within the fluid sample. Since the test subject's breath is a fully or nearly fully saturated fluid, and ambient air is typically less than fully saturated, detection operation 410 can be used to find the proportion of the fluid sample that is test subject's breath versus ambient air. Calculation operation 412 calculates a user-specific amount of the electrochemically convertible substance within the fluid sample. More specifically, calculation operation 412 uses the results of detection operation 410 to determine how much of the fluid sample is test subject's breath and adjusts the previously calculated total amount of the electrochemically convertible substance within the fluid sample to be applied exclusively to the test subject's breath.In other words, the rnzQnn / iznz / e / Y calculation operation 412 calculates both a proportion of the fluid sample that constitutes the test subject's breath based on the detected water saturation level of the fluid sample and calculates an amount of the electrochemically convertible substance within the test subject's breath based on the calculated amount of the electrochemically convertible substance in the fluid sample and the proportion of the fluid sample that is the test subject's breath. Figure 5 is a sample 500 operations flowchart for determining the amount of an electrochemically convertible substance in a dry gas or wet bath calibration standard sample. In various implementations, a user selects either a calibration check mode or a recalibration mode on a breath alcohol detection device before the device performs the 500 operations. The calibration check mode verifies the breath alcohol detection device's ability to detect the alcohol content of a known calibration standard within a predetermined tolerance. The recalibration mode resets the detected alcohol content of a known calibration standard to match that of the calibration standard.In some implementations, the recalibration mode may follow automatically or manually from a failed calibration check. The introduction operation 502 introduces a fluid sample into an electrochemical sensor. The introduction operation 502 can be performed by connecting the breath alcohol detection device to a dry gas or wet bath calibration standard, for example. A sample from the calibration standard passes adjacent to the electrochemical sensor within the breath alcohol detection device for the purpose of calibrating the device for subsequent field use. The conversion operation 504 electrochemically converts at least a portion of the fluid sample into an electrical output from the electrochemical sensor. In various implementations, the electrochemical sensor is a fuel cell device that uses the alcohol content in the fluid sample to vary the fuel cell output. The measurement operation 506 measures the electrical output from the electrochemical sensor on a periodic basis to produce sensor readings. A calculation operation 508 sums the area under the electrochemical sensor output curve to calculate the amount of electrochemically convertible substance within the fluid sample. In various implementations, the calculated amounts can be stored in memory for further analysis. Additionally, the breath alcohol detection device can receive an alcohol concentration from the user using either the dry gas or wet bath calibration standard for use in calculation operation 508. Alternatively, a common alcohol concentration from each of the dry gas and wet bath calibration standards can be stored within the breath alcohol detection device and automatically applied to the dry gas or wet bath calibration standard as appropriate. Detection operation 510 detects the water saturation level within the fluid sample. Determination operation 512 determines the type of calibration fluid. Since the dry gas calibration standard is usually unsaturated or nearly unsaturated, and the wet bath calibration standard is usually fully saturated or nearly fully saturated, the detected water saturation level distinguishes between the two calibration standards. The compensation operation 514 compensates for the previously calculated amount of the electrochemically convertible substance within the fluid sample against the specified calibration standard. The net result is an accurate calibration of the user-free breath alcohol detection device against a specific calibration standard. An additional 516 compensation operation may be performed if the determined calibration standard type is a dry gas calibration standard. Because dry gas calibration standards are filled at a time and location with a first ambient barometric pressure (for example, at sea level) and then subsequently used to calibrate the breath alcohol detection device at a different time and location with a second potentially significantly different barometric pressure (for example, at a significant elevation), the additional 516 compensation operation corrects the previously calculated amount of the electrochemically convertible substance within the fluid sample for any difference in ambient barometric pressure. Figure 6 is a flowchart of example operation 600 for loading stored quantities of an electrochemically convertible substance from a breath alcohol content device into network storage. A storage operation 602 stores a series of calculated quantities of the electrochemically convertible substance from a series of fluid samples in a breath alcohol content device. Each stored value is associated with a test subject, although multiple stored entries can be associated with the same test subject. A monitoring operation (604) monitors available wireless data networks. For example, in an implementation where the breath alcohol content device includes a Wi-Fi interface, the breath alcohol content device is monitoring for available Wi-Fi networks. A settlement operation (606) establishes a wireless connection to a pre-approved wireless network, if such a network is available. The pre-approved wireless network is a wireless network to which the device may have been previously instructed to entrust sensitive information stored on the breath alcohol content device. A 608 upload operation automatically uploads the stored series of calculated quantities of the electrochemically convertible substance to a data storage device within the wireless data network. In other implementations, the 608 upload operation automatically uploads each quantity of the electrochemically convertible substance as it is calculated, provided the breath alcohol content device remains connected to the pre-approved wireless network. The 608 upload operation can occur without the instruction and / or knowledge of a breath alcohol content device user. The 608 upload operation can also include a time indication (e.g., when the fluid sample was taken) and / or a location indication (e.g., via a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal) of where the fluid sample was taken.Data on the data storage device can be actively deleted or marked, then approved for deletion as the data is now stored and secured on the data storage device within the wireless data network. In some implementations, each of the calculated quantities of the electrochemically convertible substance is visible only to the user of the breath alcohol content device after the 608 loading operation is completed. This reduces the opportunity for the user to be forced to prevent the 608 loading operation from occurring (e.g., by destroying the breath alcohol content device). The implementations of the invention described herein are implemented as logical steps in one or more computer systems. The logical operations of the present invention are implemented (1) as a sequence of processor-implemented steps executed in one or more computer systems and (2) as interconnected machine or circuit modules within one or more computer systems. The implementation is a matter of choice, depending on the performance requirements of the computer system implementing the invention. Accordingly, the logical operations that constitute the embodiments of the invention described herein are variously referred to as operations, steps, objects, or modules.Additionally, it should be understood that the logical operations can be performed in any order, adding or omitting as desired, unless explicitly claimed otherwise or a specific order is inherently required by the language of the claim. The preceding descriptive memorandum, examples, and data provide a complete description of the structure and use of example implementations of the invention. Since many implementations of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention is contained in the appended claims hereafter. Furthermore, structural features of the different implementations can be combined into yet another implementation without departing from the cited claims. The implementations described above and other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A breath alcohol content device comprising: an electrochemical sensor for converting an electrochemically convertible substance in a fluid sample to an electrical output in contact with the electrochemical sensor; a moisture sensor for detecting the water saturation level of the fluid sample; and a microprocessor for calculating an amount of the electrochemically convertible substance in the fluid sample using the electrical output of the electrochemical sensor and the detected water saturation level of the fluid sample.

2. The breath alcohol content device of claim 1, wherein the fluid sample is a mixture of a test subject's breath and ambient air, wherein the microprocessor is further used to calculate a proportion of the fluid sample that constitutes the test subject's breath based on the detected water saturation level of the fluid sample, and wherein the microprocessor is further used to calculate an amount of the electrochemically convertible substance within the test subject's breath based on the calculated amount of the electrochemically convertible substance in the fluid sample and the proportion of the fluid sample that is the test subject's breath.

3. The breath alcohol content device of claim 2, rnzQnn / iznz / e / Y wherein the fluid sample is passively collected through a sample port in the breath alcohol content device.

4. The breath alcohol content device of claim 2, wherein a calculated amount of the electrochemically convertible substance in the test subject's breath, based on the fluid ratio of the fluid sample that is the test subject's breath, is within approximately 12% of a similarly calculated amount of the electrochemically convertible substance in the test subject's breath actively collected through a mouthpiece attached to the breath alcohol content device.

5. The breath alcohol content device of claim 1, wherein the fluid sample is one of a dry gas calibration standard and a wet bath calibration standard, and wherein the microprocessor is further used to determine which of the dry gas calibration standard and the wet bath calibration standard constitutes the fluid sample based on the detected water saturation level of the fluid sample, the microprocessor further used to compensate the determined calibration standard in calculating the amount of electrochemically convertible substance in the fluid sample.

6. The breath alcohol content device of claim 5, further comprising: a barometric pressure sensor for detecting an ambient barometric pressure, the microprocessor further comprising for compensating for the ambient barometric pressure in calculating the amount of the electrochemically convertible substance in the fluid sample when the dry gas calibration standard constitutes the fluid sample.

7. The breath alcohol content device of claim 5, wherein the determined calibration standard is dry gas when the water saturation level of the fluid sample is less than 10%.

8. The breath alcohol content device of claim 5, wherein the determined calibration standard is a wet bath when the water saturation level of the fluid sample is greater than 90%.

9. The breath alcohol content device of claim 5, wherein a difference in the electrical output of the electrochemical sensor between the dry gas calibration standard and the wet bath calibration standard is approximately 4%.

10. The breath alcohol content device of claim 1, further comprising: a pump for extracting the fluid sample into the breath alcohol content device; and a barometric pressure sensor, the microprocessor further comprising for triggering the pump to extract the fluid sample into the breath alcohol content device upon detection of a rapid increase in barometric pressure.

11. The breath alcohol content device of claim 1, further comprising: a memory for storing the calculated amount of the electrochemically convertible substance.

12. The breath alcohol content device of claim 11, further comprising: a wireless communication antenna, wherein the microprocessor is further for monitoring available wireless data networks via the wireless communication antenna, establishing a wireless data connection with a pre-approved wireless network upon detection, and uploading the calculated amount of the electrochemically convertible substance stored in memory to a network storage connected to the pre-approved wireless network.

13. The breath alcohol content device of claim 12, wherein establishing the wireless data connection and loading the calculated amount of the electrochemically convertible substance is performed without user input.

14. The breath alcohol content device of claim 12, wherein the microprocessor encrypts the calculated amount of the electrochemically convertible substance before uploading to the pre-approved rnzQnn / iznz / e / Y wireless network.

15. The breath alcohol content device of claim 12, wherein the microprocessor marks a sample for erasure and actively erases the calculated amount of the electrochemically convertible substance from memory after a successful load into network storage.

16. The breath alcohol content device of claim 12, wherein the charged quantity of the electrochemically convertible substance includes a time indication of when the fluid sample was taken and a location indication of where the fluid sample was taken.

17. The breath alcohol content device of claim 12, further comprising: a display, wherein the calculated amount of the electrochemically convertible substance is displayed to a user after the microprocessor loads the calculated amount of the electrochemically convertible substance into network storage.

18. The breath alcohol content device of claim 12, wherein the microprocessor is further enabled to download software updates for the breath alcohol content device from the pre-approved wireless network. rnzonn / iznz / e / Y 19. A method for determining the quantity of an electrochemically convertible substance in a fluid sample comprising: converting the electrochemically convertible substance in the fluid sample to an electrical output in contact with an electrochemical sensor; detecting a water saturation level of the fluid sample; calculating the quantity of the electrochemically convertible substance in the fluid sample using the electrical output of the electrochemical sensor and the detected water saturation level of the fluid sample.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the fluid sample is a mixture of a test subject's breath and ambient air, further comprising: calculating a proportion of the fluid sample that constitutes the test subject's breath based on the detected water saturation level of the fluid sample; and calculating an amount of the electrochemically convertible substance within the test subject's breath based on the calculated amount of the electrochemically convertible substance in the fluid sample and the proportion of the fluid sample that is the test subject's breath.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the fluid sample is one of a dry gas calibration standard and a wet bath calibration standard, further comprising: determining which of the dry gas calibration standard and the wet bath calibration standard constitutes the fluid sample based on the detected water saturation level of the fluid sample; and offsetting the determined calibration standard in calculating the amount of the electrochemically convertible substance in the fluid sample.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising: storing the calculated amount of the electrochemically convertible substance in memory.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising: monitoring available wireless data networks via a wireless communication antenna; establishing a wireless data connection with a pre-approved wireless network upon its detection; and loading the calculated quantity of the electrochemically convertible substance into a network storage connected to the pre-approved wireless network.

24. One or more computer-readable storage media encoding computer-executable instructions to execute on a computer system a computer procedure for determining a quantity of an electrochemically convertible substance in a fluid sample, the computer procedure comprising: converting the electrochemically convertible substance in the fluid sample to an electrical output in contact with an electrochemical sensor; detecting a water saturation level of the fluid sample; calculating the quantity of the electrochemically convertible substance in the fluid sample using the electrical output of the electrochemical sensor and the detected water saturation level of the fluid sample.

25. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 24, wherein the computer procedure further comprises: monitoring available wireless data networks via a wireless communication antenna; establishing a wireless data connection with a pre-approved wireless network upon detection; and loading the calculated quantity of the electrochemically convertible substance into a network storage connected to the pre-approved wireless network.