Biosensors & Biochips
Spring 2015
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Team members: Nahal Mustafa, Abdalrazzaq Sharif, Nour AlGharibeh
In our Senior Engineering class, Biosensors and Biochips, we were asked to design a fully functioning breathalyzer using a specific set of components. This breathalyzer had to provide better user experience than current devices present in the market which are often bulky, difficult to operate, and do not provide a natural experience. The design process was focused on providing the user with the best experience and making the device a natural extension of their daily lives. The final design needed to also enable the user to change the sensors, have access to the battery and internal circuitry, and have a replaceable desiccant compartment and mouthpiece.
The components used in building the internal circuitry of the breathalyzer were:
- LCD Screen
- Arduino Mini-pro
- MQ-3 Alcohol Sensor
- MQ-8 Hydrogen Sensor
- Gas sensor breakout boards
- Capacitors & Resistors
- BlueSMiRF Silver Bluetooth modem
Below is the low-fidelity prototype I designed on Solidworks and printed with PLA by a Makerbot.
The silver chamber acts as a mouth piece and is designed to to contain desiccant beads that will absorb moisture from the breath so as to not ruin the electrical components inside the breathalyzer. The chamber is also designed so that the beads are replaceable.
Upon finalizing the circuitry and basic design, we explored more designs and executed them using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) using the 3D printers in the advanced engineering labs.
Final prototype, inspired by a typical bottle that users are used to holding and using on a daily bases thus providing a natural experience.
