Optical Breathalyzer Installed in Smartphone May Help Measure Blood Alcohol Content

Alcohol abuse is a global problem, and such a tragic incident can be greatly lessened if the public has access to a breathalyzer at any time, in any place. Unfortunately, the public is merely not interested in taking with them such a device.

A Tech Xplore report said that thousands of drivers are reported dying from drunk driving every year in the United States alone.

Scientists from the Center for Optics, Photonics, and Lasers or COPL at Canada-based Laval University, have examined this extensive use and discovered a potential solution which implanting a breathalyzer in a smartphone.

This definitely is not a new idea. A lot of scientific communities have already tried this feat. The problem is that present technologies for detecting blood alcohol levels are not sufficient to be incorporated into phones.

The devices are undeniably bulky, costly, difficult to mass-produce, and not long-lasting because of the need for replacements of chemical sensors.

ALSO READ: COVID-19 Vaccines: Almost 280,000 Lives Saved, Over a Million Hospitalizations Preempted in the US

Optical Breathalyzer Integrated to the Phone Screen

Instead of attempting to integrate a present breathalyzer technology into the phone, the researchers wondered if the components in these devices could be employed to measure blood alcohol content.

Their curiosity led the study authors to an exciting invention, specifically, an optical breathalyzer integrated into the phone screen.

When a window is fogged, there are thousands of microdroplets on the surface. And when the breath is contaminated by alcohol, these microdroplets evaporate more rapidly because alcohol evaporates faster than water.

The study investigators needed to be resourceful in finding a way to measure such an evaporation rate. Furthermore, multimedia glass screens like Gorilla glass used to protect tech gadgets such as tablets, phones, and smartwatches, feature an anti-scratch layer. This said layer is thicker and heavier than the rest of the glass, forming a planar waveguide.

Powered by a Battery, Guided by an App

The researchers constructed a prototype powered by the phone's battery with an app as a guide for the user to know how to take the blood alcohol test.

Just a single component known as photodiode needs to be added to the phone. Visibly, this component is reasonably priced, and modern devices already have various integrations like proximity or ambient light sensor, among others.

Elprocus describes a photodiode as a "PN-junction diode" consuming light energy to generate an electric current. It is sometimes called light or photo-detector.

The model has been tested at various parties to understand further the parameters and conditions that could impact the measurements.

Climate Impacting Measurements

According to Dr. Jerome Lapointe, the first author of the study, Smartphone Screen Integrated Optical Breathalyzer, published in Sensors, they are very excited about the new technology that could result in an actual impact on society.

He added, while technology is effective in a controlled environment, the ambient conditions in an actual-world environment significantly impact the measurements.

For instance, in a warmer or less humid climate, the fog on the phone screen evaporates at a speedier rate. As a result, it will be essential to test in all probable conditions in order for the breathalyzer to be standardized.

Good thing that phones today have various sensors, which include temperature and humidity, that can be employed for the recording of all conditions for every test.

Related information about turning the phone into a breathalyzer is shown on Unbox Therapy's YouTube video below: