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Studies on a Wearable, Electronic, Transdermal Alcohol Sensor
Author(s) -
Swift Robert M.,
Martin Christopher S.,
Swette Larry,
LaConti Anthony,
Kackley Nancy
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1992.tb00668.x
Subject(s) - transdermal , wearable computer , alcohol , computer science , medicine , human–computer interaction , embedded system , pharmacology , chemistry , biochemistry
The measurement of alcohol consumption over long time periods is important for monitoring treatment outcome and for research applications. Giner, Inc. has developed a wearable device that senses ethanol vapor at the surface of the skin, using an electrochemical cell that produces a continuous current signal proportional to ethanol concentration. A thermistor monitors continuous contact of the sensor with the skin, and a data‐acquisition/logic circuit stores days of data recorded at 2‐ to 5‐min intervals. Testing of this novel ethanol sensor/recorder was conducted on nonalcoholic human subjects consuming known quantities of ethanol and on intoxicated alcoholic subjects. The transdermal sensor signal closely follows the pattern of the blood alcohol concentration curve, although with a delay. This paper describes the concept of electrochemical ethanol measurement and presents some of the clinical data collected in support of the sensor/recorder development.