Transdermal Alcohol Measurements Using MOX Sensors in Clinical Trials

Abstract

Human metabolism often results in the emission of many VOCs through the skin. Ethanol is one of volatile compounds which are evaporated by perspiration. The aim of our research consists to develop chemical sensors for monitoring ethanol emission after alcohol consumption. The interest of using chemical sensors is noninvasive measurement and controlling alcohol level in the human body and to make the link between these measurements and that in the blood or in the breath. Recent clinical trials demonstrated the feasibility and relevance of this measurement method. Metal oxide sensors were calibrated in respect of the thermodynamic conditions of the surface of the skin. In this paper we show the first sensor responses by perspiration.

Keywords

• gas sensor
• VOCs
• ethanol detection
• perspiration
• transdermal alcohol
• alcohol pharmacokinetics