Scientists have developed an incredible mask that they claim can sober you up three times faster than normal.
Researchers from the University Health Network in Toronto say the simple method could make a difference in rescue therapy for severe alcohol intoxication. The system is comprised of a briefcase-sized valve system, a mask and a small tank with compressed carbon dioxide.
Dr. Joseph Fisher, who led the study, said: “It’s very basic, low-tech device that could be made anywhere in the world: no electronics, no computers or filters are required. It’s almost inexplicable why we didn’t try this decades ago.”
Normally, 90 percent of the alcohol in the human body is cleared by the liver at a constant rate. However, the new mask employs the help of the lungs to breathe out the alcohol, with harder breathing eliminating the booze up to three times faster than the liver alone.
“But you can’t just hyperventilate, because in a minute or two you would become light-headed and pass out,” Dr.Fisher said. “When you hyperventilate, your body eliminates carbon dioxide from the blood, along with the alcohol.
While this usually causes light-headedness, the mask returns precisely the amount of carbon dioxide to the body.This means that you can breathe heavily to eliminate the alcohol, without becoming light-headed and fainting.”
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