Alcohol content measuring system based on interstitial fluid extraction and surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors.

摘要

COGNA has developed an alcohol content measuring device that analyzes alcohol content in interstitial fluid. Interstitial fluid is the fluid between cells of the human body. It uses surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors as the sensing devices and wireless communication to a cell phone, typically a smart phone. COGNA's device is unobtrusive, appealing to the wearer, and takes the form of a small, thin, flexible patch (about 2x3 inches) in contact with the human body. The gold standard in measuring alcohol content is analyzing a blood sample. Although accurate, this method is slow (more than a few minutes) and requires pricking a finger or other body part of a person. Many people object to this. Another current method utilizes analyzing the breath of people (using a so called breathalyzer). This method is not very accurate. It depends on the actual chemical environment of the mouth. Attempts have been made to analyze sweat or sweat vapor of people for alcohol content. Although interesting, this method has shortcomings. It is not accurate enough and not all people sweat.