Robert F. Borkenstein's Breathalyzer
notes: label: Description
content: Robert F. Borkenstein's Breathalyzer, Model 900. Borkenstein developed this device for use in police stations with the advantage that it was easy and simple enough for police to use, and they saved time and expense as they didn’t need a physician to come in, and didn’t have to take the suspect to the hospital for a phlebotomist to draw blood. People would blow into balloons and that air in the balloons was later tested, which was the primary method for evidentiary breath testing through for several decades, 1960s-80s. This was an inexpensive way to test intoxication and meant that BAC (blood alcohol content) could be used as evidence. This particular machine was owned by Borkenstein, who gave it to Robert Voas.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Transportation, Road
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2014.0301.01
label: catalog number
content: 2014.0301.01
label: accession number
content: 2014.0301
objectType: label: Object Name
content: breath alcohol tester
label: Object Name
content: breath alcohol testerbreath alcohol tester
label: Object Name
content: Breathalyzer
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 10 1/8 in x 8 3/8 in x 7 3/4 in; 25.7175 cm x 21.2725 cm x 19.685 cm