AlcoDigital CA2000 - Alcohol Tester Manual

Overview

The CA2000 is a breath alcohol screening device designed to test for the presence of alcohol in the blood. This device is intended to be used in all populations with lung capacity capable of producing at least 1.5 litres of exhaled air. The CA2000 is powered by 1 x 9v PP3 Battery that generally lasts between 200-300 tests.

Preparing For Use

To install the included battery apply a small amount of pressure on the indentation of the battery compartment cover and then push down and away from the unit simultaneously in order to release the cover. Install the batteries and replace the battery compartment cover (See the following diagram):

The tester comes with one replaceable plastic mouthpiece already mounted over the breath pipe. You may wish to replace the mouthpiece for use by another person for sanitary reasons. To change the mouthpieces, align the slot in the mouthpiece with the slot on the BREATH PIPE.

Always leave at least 20 minutes between drinking and testing

If you do not wait 20 minutes before testing, the reading will measure the alcohol in your mouth, which is many times that related to your blood alcohol level. The detector contains a highly sensitive semi-conductor sensor, and not waiting the required time could damage (saturate) this sensor and can cause all future readings to be inaccurate. Please also ensure you do not blow any smoke or liquid into the unit, or the same damage can result and de-calibrate the detector.

Press the ON/OFF power switch. The detector will start to count down from 200 to 000 on the display. The warm up and cleaning cycle will prepare the sensor for testing.

After hearing a BEEP and the green READY light comes on, take a deep breath, then gently and steadily blow into the breath intake until you hear the second BEEP. You will blow for 3 seconds. Make sure your lips are sealed around the pipe and your hand has not covered the air outlet.

After the red and green display lights blink for 4 seconds, the test results will be displayed by 3 digits and remains for 15 seconds.

Time out: if you don't blow within 30 sec from READY, the unit will time out and displays a blinking "OFF". Press the ON/OFF power switch to turn the unit off and repeat step 1.

How to Analyze the Results?

• If the reading is over 0.05, the red WARN lamp will flash along with a BEEP sound.
• If the sensor is saturated, the display reads "HOT" and the red lamp will flash along with the BEEP sound. This can occur if a subject blows alcohol from their saliva into the tester.
• If you consume very little alcohol, your actual concentration may be below.01% BAC and the reading may not be activated. However, the display will read 0.00
• The UK Drink-Drive limit is 0.08% BAC – displayed as 0.08 on the CA2000

Precautions

1. Always wait at least 20 minutes after your last drink before testing. This is because it can take up to 20 minutes for any residual alcohol in the mouth to dissipate and for alcohol to be fully absorbed in the blood.
2. Avoid testing in strong winds, in a closed room with a heavy smoke, or where a lot of alcohol is being consumed.
3. Do not blow cigarette smoke, food or liquid into the instrument
4. The CA2000 PRO is designed for use in a temperature range of 10 – 40 (C) or 50-104 (F). Operation of the unit in extreme temperature ranges above or below this range may affect the accuracy of results.
5. Avoid testing in the presence of any substances that contain methyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol or acetone. These substances may interfere with the results of the test.
6. Conditions that increase the amount of ketenes on the breath, such as diabetes and low caloric intake, may cause a false positive test.
7. DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE. Always have a designated driver if you are drinking Alcohol.

How does it work?

When you drink alcohol it passes through the lining of the stomach into the blood supply. As the blood moves around your body it is filtered by the liver (which extracts the alcohol over a period of time) but also passes through the lungs. At the same time as the oxygen in your breath passes through the alveoli into your blood, a certain amount of the alcohol that is carried by the blood passes back the other way. It is therefore important to measure deep lung air as this is where the blood has been in contact with the air in the lungs. A breath from any other part of the lungs will have a lower alcohol concentration and can give a lower reading than should be the case.

To achieve a consistent reading, a consistent sample of deep lung air is therefore required. Law-Enforcement devices measure an absolute quantity of air (usually 1.7ltr) each time they are used and employ a chemical fuel cell to measure alcohol concentration. This however makes such devices significantly more expensive to manufacture than personal detectors like this that use a "timed blow" & semi-conductor sensor, but with practice the user can achieve a reasonable level of accuracy by ensuring that as far as possible the same blow pressure is used each time a sample is taken.

How to get the most from your Breathalyser

When first using the device, 20 minutes after your last drink try testing yourself three times, approximately two minutes apart, in order to "bracket" the readings. An average reading can then be assessed, as can the consistency of the blow level required. Note the reading, and then test again 30 minutes later and so on until the unit reads zero.

Try the unit on others; you are likely to find considerable variance in the way in which individuals metabolise alcohol, depending upon body mass, when they last ate, time of day etc. After a while you will start to develop a reasonable idea of the way in which you personally react to Alcohol and you can then modify your drinking appropriately to ensure that you always leave a more than adequate period after drinking and before driving.

UKBreathalysers would always recommend you do not drive with ANY alcohol in your system, and that you leave a substantial safety margin between the time you believe you have reached a zero-level and the point where you may consider driving. Never rely solely upon the readings of this detector in determining your fitness to drive!

Disposable Mouthpieces

Your detector is equipped with removable / disposable mouthpiece. For all sanitary considerations replace and dispose the mouthpiece when testing others. To reorder please visit our online store or call our order desk.

Calibration Procedure

If your device is providing inconsistent, unusually high or low readings, or no readings at all, your device may need to be re-calibrated. In addition, the breathalyser should be re-calibrated at least once every 6-12 months. More frequent calibrations may be required depending on frequency of use. For detailed information on how to have the device re-calibrated, please see our Website.

Cleaning

Although it may seem logical to clean the alcohol detector with alcohol or other cleaning agents, in reality, this is very harmful to the semiconductor sensor in detector. All semiconductor sensors are intolerant to high doses (saturation) of alcohol, and other cleaning or anti bacterial agents. Simply wipe the unit over with a damp (not wet) cloth and dry thoroughly.