ABSTRACT
In a 1985 paper, Professor Robert F. Borkenstein wrote about a former colleague: It is interesting just how much influence one person can have on a field. Robert Borkenstein was a prime example of the sort of person who achieved greatness from relatively humble beginnings. The Drunkometer, while deserving of great credit as a “first,” was somewhat complicated and, not surprisingly, reliability of it and the other first generation breath test devices was frequently challenged. Borkenstein recognized the validity of some of these challenges and, based on this background, developed the Breathalyzer, first of the “second generation” of breath testing instruments. Using a very simple valve arrangement, breath sample was passed through a glass ampoule containing acid dichromate, a common reagent for alcohol analysis. The truly unique and innovative design feature of the Breathalyzer was its photometric arrangement. The significant role of the Breathalyzer as a reliable tool for measurement of blood alcohol concentration was not restricted to law enforcement.
