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. 2002 Dec 14;325(7377):1403. doi: 10.1136/bmj.325.7377.1403

Figure.

Figure

Five breath screening devices are currently approved for police use in Britain. They work on the principle that in the presence of a catalyst, oxygen in a sample of expired air converts any alcohol present into acetic acid and then to water and carbon dioxide. A fuel cell converts the chemical energy released when oxidation occurs into a detectable electrical voltage. The higher the voltage, the more alcohol is present in the sample