Our good friend, Ron Moore, Esquire writes us “I actually had a client researching lawyers who looked at the Truth About Forensic Science geek of the week posts and liked my answers. It made a difference in who he decided to hire. Thanks!” So, there is a lot of value in www.TheTruthAboutForensicScience.com Forensic Science Geek of the Week Challenge. Try it out today.
Forensic Science Geek of the Week
- Forensic Science Geek of the Week
Thanks to the combined inspiration of Christine Funk, Esquire and Chuck Ramsay, Esquire, a new twist of this blog is being introduced. A weekly fun forensic science challenge/trivia question. The winner will be affectionately dubbed “www.TheTruthAboutForensicScience.com Forensic Science Geek of the Week.”
Rules:
- The challenge will be posted Sunday morning 12 noon EST.
- Answers to the challenge will be entered by responding to this blog post or the www.TheTruthAboutForensicScience.com FaceBook fan page.
- All comments that are answers to this blog will released after 9pm EST.
- The first complete and correct answer will be awarded the envious title of “www.TheTruthAboutForensicScience.com Forensic Science Geek of the Week”
- “www.TheTruthAboutForensicScience.com Forensic Science Geek of the Week” is entitled a one time post of his/her picture on this blog and the www.TheTruthAboutForensicScience.com FaceBook fan page. The coveted title will be his/her for that week. Additionally, a winner will be allowed one link to one webpage of his/her choice. Both the picture and the weblink is subject to the approval of Justin J McShane, Esquire and will only be screened for appropriate taste.
- The winner will be announced Sunday night.
- A winner may only repeat two times in a row, then will have to sit out a week to be eligible again. This person, who was the two time in a row winner, may answer the question, but will be disqualified from the honor so as to allow others to participate.
- This is for learning and for fun. EVERYONE IS ENCOURAGED TO TRY TO ANSWER THE WEEKLY QUESTION. So give it a shot.
Here it is:
The www.TheTruthAboutForensicScience.com “Forensic Science Geek of the Week” challenge question. Remember the first full and complete answer wins the honor and also gets his/her photo displayed, bragging rights for the week and finally website promotion.
OFFICIAL QUESTION:
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Forensic Science Geek of the Week Challenge 
Forensic Science Geek of the Week Challenge 
Forensic Science Geek of the Week Challenge
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1. What is this device?
2. What are its limitations?
The Hall of Fame for the www.TheTruthAboutForensicScience.com Forensic Science Geek of the Week:
Week 1: Chuck Ramsay, Esquire
Week 2: Rick McIndoe, PhD
Week 3: Christine Funk, Esquire
Week 4: Stephen Daniels
Week 5: Stephen Daniels
Week 6: Richard Middlebrook, Esquire
Week 7: Christine Funk, Esquire
Week 8: Ron Moore, B.S., J.D.
Week 9: Ron Moore, B.S., J.D.
Week 10: Kelly Case, Esquire and Michael Dye, Esquire
Week 11: Brian Manchester, Esquire
Week 12: Ron Moore, B.S., J.D.
Week 13: Ron Moore, B.S., J.D.
Week 14: Josh Lee, Esquire
Week 15: Joshua Dale, Esquire and Steven W. Hernandez, Esquire
Week 16: Christine Funk, Esquire
Week 17: Joshua Dale, Esquire
Week 18: Glen Neeley, Esquire
Week 19: Amanda Bynum, Esquire
Week 20: Josh Lee, Esquire
Week 21: Glen Neeley, Esquire
Week 22: Stephen Daniels
Week 23: Ron Moore, B.S., J.D.
Week 24: Bobby Spinks
Week 25: Jon Woolsey, Esquire
Week 26: Mehul B. Anjaria
Week 27: Richard Middlebrook, Esquire
WEEK 28: Ron Moore, Esquire
Week 29: Ron Moore, Esquire
Week 30: C. Jeffrey Sifers, Esquire
Week 31: Ron Moore, Esquire
Week 32: Mehul B. Anjaria
Week 33: Andy Johnston
Week 34: Ralph R. Ristenbatt, III
Week 35: Brian Manchester, Esquire
Week 36: Ron Moore, Esquire
WEEK 37: UNCLAIMED, IT COULD BE YOU!
WEEK 38: IT COULD BE YOU!
The McShane Firm | DUI Lawyers
Pennsylvania DUI Blog
Brian Manchester says:
The device is a SCRAMx bracelet. It is used to monitor defendants to see if they have consumed alcohol through their perspiration. It is non-specific for ethyl alcohol and is prone to false positives.
I recently had a client who was a logger and the chemicals he used to clean off machinery would set the thing off.
Pam King says:
This is a SCRAM unit (Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor). It is used for alcohol monitoring. Using fuel cell technology it claims to measure the vapor from skin to determine alcohol in blood. A technology called Transdermal Alcohol Content (TAC). The limitations are that is cannot accurately measure the amount of blood alcohol present. It can only detect the presence of alcohol. Although the company uses a slope to compare the TAC readings taken over time to attempt to correlate to blood like is used in BrAC measurement, this technology has not been properly researched or validated. The second limitation is it is measuring the vapor space above skin so interferents such as skin products with alcohol can register. Third, it is non-specific so it cannot distinguish between ethanol, methyl, or isopr
Ron Moore says:
This is a self contained remote alcohol monitor (SCRAM) device. It is subject to environmental interference and cannot tell ingested alcohol from alcohol from other sources.
Kim Frye says:
Picture appears to be a scram device or a device to measure alcohol transdermally. Normally reserved for persons on bond or sentenced in criminal cases.
Limitations of this device include:
-difficulty of distinguishing in types of alcohol resulting in false positives
-device can give inaccurate readings based on physical barriers
-transdermal alcohol content research is not well developed and lacks sufficient data and analysis to be confident in results across differentiated statistical pool of subjects.
Robert Lantz, Ph.D. says:
It is a SCRAM device for the detection of transdermal alcohol. The limitations are manifold. In particular, it cannot differentiate between external ethanol vapors and those arising from the skin. This is particularly important for those who work around alcohol (barmaids, janitors, etc.). The manufacturer (AMS) claims that they can differentiate between alcohol that has passed through the skin and alcohol that has been poured, in large volume, onto the device. True, but it still does not deal with the problem of ETOH vapors.
The other problems are primarily those associated with any electrochemical “ethanol” detector.
Stephen F. Daniels says:
Justin,
1. The device is a ScramX-ICam = Continuous Transdermal Alcohol Monitoring System by testing for alcohol every half-hour around the clock. The ScramX measures alcohol through the skin or by the insensible perspiration that people constantly produce. If a offender has been drinking the alcohol, the alcohol shows up in a level of alcohol vapor present in the perspiration. The ScramX system is comprised of three parts, the ankle bracelet, the monitor and Scram-net the web based application where all information and data from the bracelet is stored. The bracelet produces data that includes: A quantifiable TAC curve, Conclusively distinguishes between ingested and environmental alcohol, provides single-source admissibility, produces a BAC-like measurement and is consistently calibrated.
In terms of monitoring ethyl alcohol (ETOH) consumption transdermally, one can use either sensible perspiration (liquid phase) examination or insensible perspiration (gaseous phase) examination or both. SCRAM and SCRAMx use a method of measuring transdermal alcohol in the insensible phase. The collected materials are then analyzed by an electrochemical sensor in the bracelet housing. This is used to estimate the concentration of ETOH in the body. The measure is the amount of Transdermal Alcohol Concentration or TAC. In terms of validated science, the correlation between TAC and true BAC due to exclusively ETOH consumption is not well-known or conclusively established within the scientific community.
2. Limitations: Also, other factors may cause false readings in the SCRAM bracelet such as food converting to alcohol inside the body, and that the SCRAM device uses alcohol measuring technology that has been shown to be non-specific for beverage alcohol. “In addition, certain kinds of cosmetics and other things can trigger a positive reading inthe ScramX or Scram devices.
AND: FYI, a person using ScramX or SCRAM should not use SCRAM’s own antibacterial hand sanitizer spray.
Stephen F. Daniels
DUI undo Consutlants, LLC
Justin J. McShane says:
You are right. You are going to be the Week 38 Forensic Science Geek of the Week!
Justin J. McShane says:
Great job. You have secured Honorable Mention!
Justin J. McShane says:
Great job. You have secured Honorable Mention! (It’s “Secured Continuous” by the way…)
Justin J. McShane says:
Great job! You have secured Honorable Mention!
Justin J. McShane says:
Just a little bit quicker, but Great job. You have secured Honorable Mention!
Justin J. McShane says:
Funny FYI. Great job. We had already announced the winner but thanks for contributing.