What is the breathalyzer machine and how does it work?
The breathalyzer machine used in Rhode Island is the Intoxilyzer Model 5000. I have trained extensively on the Intoxilyzer 5000 and I am currently a U.S. DOT certified breath alcohol testing technician. Alcohol that is consumed shows up in the breath because it gets absorbed from the mouth, throat, stomach and intestines into the bloodstream. As the blood passes through the lungs, some alcohol moves across the alveoli (membranes of the lung’s air sacs) into the air. Thus, the concentration of the alcohol in the alveolar air is directly related to the concentration of the alcohol in an individual’s blood. The Intoxilyzer 5000 works on the theory of infrared absorption. The machine has a light source (light bulb) positioned at one end of the sample chamber. There are filter wheels at the end of the cylinder and on the other side of these filter wheels is a light receiver. The Intoxilyzer uses an infrared sensor to detect a specific wavelength of EM (Electromagnetic) energy absorbed by th
