Citation

Martin TL. J. Can. Soc. Forensic Sci. 2011; 44(1): 22-30.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Canadian Society of Forensic Science, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/00085030.2011.10768139

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The Intoxilyzer® 8000C, an evidential breath alcohol analyzer, was evaluated according to the Recommended Standards and Procedures (2003) of the Canadian Society of Forensic Science Alcohol Test Committee (ATC). The results of this testing demonstrated that the instrument met, or exceeded, the requirements of the ATC on all criteria including accuracy, linearity, precision, and acetone interference. Human subject testing allowed for the comparison of blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) determined by the Intoxilyzer® 8000C against near-simultaneous breath test results from an Intoxilyzer® 5000C, a well-established, Approved Instrument in Canada since 1992. The results of 50 paired breath samples on 10 drinking subjects were well-correlated (R2 = 0.968) and described by a linear model, y = 1.02x + 2.51. The validation of the Intoxilyzer® 8000C according to the rigid standards of the ATC Equipment Evaluation Procedure demonstrates the instrument to be an accurate and reliable means of determining breath alcohol concentrations over a range of forensically relevant BACs. Subsequent to this evaluation, the Intoxilyzer® 8000C was added to the approved list of evidential instruments on 29 August 2007.