Citation

Hodgson BT, Taylor MD. J. Can. Soc. Forensic Sci. 1998; 31(4): 263-267.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, Canadian Society of Forensic Science, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/00085030.1998.10757120

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The Breathalyzer® 7410-CDN with Printer was evaluated according to the CSFS Alcohol Test Committee standards (1995) for approved instruments. The Breathalyzer® 7410 is physically similar to the Alcotest® 7410 Approved Screening Device and, similarly, uses an electrochemical sensor for measuring alcohol. The Breathalyzer® 7410, however, is programmed to function as an evidential breath alcohol analyzer and is accompanied by a printer. Data from the Breathalyzer® 7410 is optically transmitted to the printer. The instrument did not respond to acetone vapours, but did respond to other alcohols such as methanol and isopropanol. The instrument showed good precision and accuracy when tested with simulated breath alcohol vapours in the range of 50 to 350 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of solution (mg%). Human subject testing (n = 11) showed an excellent correlation with an Approved Instrument (Intoxilyzer® 5000C). Blood/breath correlations with six of the subjects showed that the Breathalyzer® 7410 underestimated the corresponding blood alcohol concentration in a range of 10 to 30 miligrams in 100 millilitres of blood.