Have you ever wondered how alcohol testers like BACtrack devices work and when was the breathalyzer invented? The earliest study about using breath for alcohol content analysis dates back to the 18th century. The need for a breath testing device rose when many intoxicated drivers caused problems on the road for the police. In the USA, the city of New York was the first to implement drink-driving laws in 1910. After that, the UK made driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol an offence in 1925. Law enforcement had no technical aid to determine the alcohol intoxication level during that time. Officers had to rely on subjective evaluations and tests to decide the driver’s conditions.
Before the invention of breathalyzers, police conducted the “field sobriety test” to charge drivers with drink-driving violations. They will ask motorists to walk in a straight line and observe their speech, eyes, and breath. However, it wasn’t until 1927 that a paper by Emil Bogen about collected air in a football bladder led to the discovery of possibly tracing alcohol content through the breath. The revelations of this study provides the framework as to when was the breathalyzer invented. It laid the foundation of scientific research in calculating the breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) with the blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Further analysis revealed that 2100ml of deep lung air contains the same amount of alcohol as 1 ml of blood. Breathalyzers calculate the BAC through the weight of ethanol in milligrams per 210 litres of breath.
When was the breathalyzer Invented: Pioneers of breathalyzers
When was the breathalyzer invented? Professor Rolla N. Harger developed the first known breath testing device called The Drunkometer in 1931. The machine collected a breath sample and pumped it to a balloon containing an acidified potassium permanganate. It is a solution that changes colours when it comes in contact with alcohol-containing breath. The more the colours change, the more alcohol the breath has. It was then further developed by Robert Borkenstein in 1954, using two photocells and potassium dichromate. These substances cause a chemical reaction with the alcohol from the breath. This development led to the invention of the breathalyzer. The capacity of the breathalyzer to measure the BAC levels help shape the drink-driving laws we now have. This invention is also the main inspiration of BACtrack personal Breathalyzers.
BACtrack is the leading specialist in breathalyzers technology today. It uses the most advanced sensors to measure the BAC levels accurately. When was the breathalyzer invented for personal use? BACtrack was the first to develop a commercial breathalyzer when it was still exclusive for law enforcement use. In 2004, BACtrack became the first to obtain FDA approval to market breathalyzers for personal use. Today, BACtrack serves millions of individuals, workplaces, hospitals, and law enforcers with highly reliable breath tests.
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