Blood alcohol analyzer
US3941659A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 11, 1974 |
| Grant date | Mar 2, 1976 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 11, 1994 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S435/808
- WIPO fieldBiotechnology
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A continuous-flow method and apparatus for the determination of alcohol in a biological fluid such as blood is disclosed. A packed column containing the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase physically entrapped in a acrylamide gel together with other special ingredients which extend the active life of the enzyme in the test environment is provided. Downstream of the packed column a transparent measurement cell is provided in conjunction with a fluorescence spectrophotometer which is utilized to measure the fluorescence of the effluent which is directly related to the amount of ethyl alcohol in the original sample. The fluorescence measurement is electrically transformed by conventional means into a direct readout of the alcohol content of the sample. This obtains from the fact that alcohol dehydrogenase catalyzes the oxidation of ethyl alcohol in the presence of non-fluorescening NAD to produce acetaldehyde and fluorescing NADH.sub.2. The alcohol dehydrogenase is immobilized and its activity preserved in a manner which allows many tests to be run without any significant loss of enzyme or enzyme activity thereby accomplishing considerable cost reduction in the procedure.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.