美国大麻的增长推动了呼吸分析仪测试技术的发展

Marijuana’s Growth in US Drives Breathalyzer Test Technology

American police have long used breathalyzer equipment to test the blood alcohol level of drivers. Now, with more states legalizing the use of marijuana, similar devices are being developed to measure other drug levels in a person’s system.

Unlike alcohol breathalyzers, police have had no devices for measuring marijuana levels during traffic stops. Current methods for identifying drug levels require small amounts of blood, bodily fluids or hair. Such tests can take a long time and only measure recent drug use, not whether a person is currently under the influence.

Two companies recently announced they had created marijuana breathalyzer devices and plan to market them to police agencies. University researchers also released details of a device they developed to provide immediate¹ readings for marijuana levels.

The devices are designed to measure levels of THC, the substance that gives marijuana users the mental state called a high.

California-based Hound Labs Inc. has been developing breathalyzer technology for several years. The company says it has created the world’s first device to measure both alcohol and marijuana levels in a person’s system.

In late August, Hound Labs announced it had raised $30 million in new financing to boost manufacturing and marketing² efforts. The company says its research is backed by a test study involving its breathalyzer device, called the Hound Breathalyzer.

The study, led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, found the device can measure THC throughout a three-hour window after a person smokes marijuana. Hound Labs said this finding is important because other major research has shown that people are usually “most impaired³ within three hours of smoking marijuana.”

Mike Lynn is the founder⁴ and CEO of Hound Labs. He is also a doctor. He told the Digital Trends website the development process for marijuana breathalyzer technology was complex.

This is because the amount of THC that exists in breath is about “a billion times less than alcohol,” Lynn said. “It’s like identifying 25 or 30 specific grains of sand on a beach that’s well over a mile long,” he told the website.

Hound Labs says on its website the device returns THC results within minutes. It can capture two measures, one to find immediate use and one for later. And the company says the device can record recent marijuana use whether the user smoked or ate the drug.

A Canadian-based company called SannTek Labs is also developing a breathalyzer device to measure THC levels. SannTek has the backing of major Silicon⁵ Valley technology investor⁶ Y Combinator.

The company’s website says its breathalyzer can measure both alcohol and THC levels. SannTek says the device was designed to assist officers who suspect drivers they stop may be under the influence, but no alcohol is discovered in breathalyzers.

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh recently announced that they too had built a breathalyzer to detect THC levels. The team published its results in the journal ACS Sensors⁷.

The researchers say their breathalyzer system uses microscopic⁸ tubes of carbon that are about 100,000 times smaller than a human hair. THC molecules⁹ attach to the surface of the nanotubes and this changes their electrical properties. “The speed at which the electrical currents recover then signals whether THC is present,” a university statement said.

Sean Hwang is a doctoral student in chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh who helped lead the research. He says the carbon nanotube technology used was not available just a few years ago.

Machine learning technology was used to “teach” the breathalyzer to recognize the presence of THC based on the recovery time of the electrical currents, Hwang said. The process works even when other substances, like alcohol, are present in breath, he added.

The manufacture and marketing of such devices is likely to grow in the coming years, especially in states with legalized marijuana. However, if law enforcement begins using such devices, rules would need to be created to define lawful¹⁰ and unlawful levels of THC in drivers.

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

impaired – adj. weakened or damaged

specific – adj. special or particular

1 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

2 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

3 impaired   

adj.受损的；出毛病的；有（身体或智力）缺陷的v.损害，削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Much reading has impaired his vision. 大量读书损害了他的视力。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• His hearing is somewhat impaired. 他的听觉已受到一定程度的损害。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

5 silicon   

n.硅(旧名矽)

参考例句：

• This company pioneered the use of silicon chip.这家公司开创了使用硅片的方法。
• A chip is a piece of silicon about the size of a postage stamp.芯片就是一枚邮票大小的硅片。

6 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

7 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

8 microscopic   

adj.微小的，细微的，极小的，显微的

参考例句：

• It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。
• A plant's lungs are the microscopic pores in its leaves.植物的肺就是其叶片上微细的气孔。

9 molecules   

分子( molecule的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The structure of molecules can be seen under an electron microscope. 分子的结构可在电子显微镜下观察到。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules. 在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

10 lawful   

adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的

参考例句：

• It is not lawful to park in front of a hydrant.在消火栓前停车是不合法的。
• We don't recognised him to be the lawful heir.我们不承认他为合法继承人。