Breathalyzer service – calibration, verification, maintenance and repair.

All measuring instruments require maintenance from time to time.

The breathalyzer determines the amount of alcohol in exhaled air using a sensor built into it. Sensors are divided into semiconductor oxide sensors, in which the resistance changes when in contact with alcohol (a sensor that works on the principle of heating), and electrochemical sensors, in which an electric current is generated when in contact with alcohol. During use, all sensors wear out, moreover, due to the influence of the environment, continuous processes take place in them, such as oxidation, drying, etc. The result is a shift in the response range of the sensor (if, for example, a new sensor had an electrical result of 2 ohms (ohms), which corresponds to 0.2‰ alcohol, then over time it may switch to, for example, 5 ohms or any other value).

Breathalyzer maintenance at the accredited laboratory in Rovicos consists of the following stages: breathalyzer calibration (comparison with a certain standard in professional exhalation simulators), breathalyzer adjustment (setting of standard readings for the breathalyzer according to the current state of the sensor), breathalyzer calibration (to make sure that the adjustment was successful). Popularly, this process is called calibration (which is actually only a part of the breathalyzer operations performed in our laboratories) or verification – this process, so that the breathalyzer measurements and the breathalyzer comply with OIML R126 and the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia No. 624, no. 310, no. 981 regulations can be performed by type-approved breathalyzers and the laboratory must be accredited according to the ISO 17020 standard. The laboratory of Rovico Latvia has received LATAK accreditation for this high standard of ISO 17020 and is entitled to perform initial and repeated verification of type approved breathalyzers (Rovico Latvia institution number I-632).

Our all laboratories have also obtained the ISO 9001 quality standard for maintenance and service of breathalyzers.