System and methods for wireless hand hygiene monitoring

• US 10,282,969 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2014
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clean Hands Safe Hands
• Original Assignee: Clean Hands Safe Hands
• Inventors: Hermann, Christopher Douglas, McCrory, Russell Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): McNally, Kerri L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Thang D
• Application Number:
  US14/899,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20160140831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,783 Days
• Field of Search: 3405731, 3405721-5729, 340 101- 106
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for providing hand hygiene dispenser stations configured to remind users to use the hand hygiene dispenser stations. In one or more embodiments, the present systems and methods provide individual provider identification and networked communication among hand hygiene stations (dispenser stations), enabling tracking of providers and data collection regarding hand hygiene products usage (hand hygiene compliance).

Claims

1. A system for tracking and improving hand hygiene comprising two or more hand hygiene dispenser stations, each of the hand hygiene dispenser stations operatively connected to a) at least one other hand hygiene dispenser station via a mesh network and b) a hand hygiene product dispenser for dispensing a hand hygiene product, and each hand hygiene dispenser station comprising:

at least one sensor for detecting when an action to receive the hand hygiene product is performed by the hand hygiene product dispenser, the at least one sensor operatively coupled to at least one processor; and

a proximity sensor for determining when an object is within a predetermined distance from the hand hygiene product dispenser, the proximity sensor operatively connected to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is operatively configured to;

receive via the mesh network of hand hygiene dispenser stations, from a geographically remote data collection server, environmental programming information including alert parameters;

receive, from the proximity sensor, a proximity indication that a particular object is within the predetermined distance;

upon receiving the proximity indication, determine whether the at least one sensor detects the action to receive the hand hygiene product within a predetermined time period;

receive at least one identifier via a low power Bluetooth signal from a tag associated with a user, wherein the proximity indication and the at least one identifier are received separately;

facilitate transmission of at least one message via the mesh network of hand hygiene dispenser stations from a hand hygiene dispenser station to the data collection server, the at least one message comprising the at least one identifier received from the tag;

determining that the at least one sensor did not detect the action to receive the hand hygiene product within the predetermined time period;

determining that at least one alert parameter included in the environmental programming information received from the geographically remote data collection server is met; and

activating an alert at least partially based upon;

a) the determination that the at least one sensor did not detect the action to receive the hand hygiene product within the predetermined time period, and b) the determination that at least one alert parameter included in the environmental programming information received from the geographically remote data collection server is met based on a current operating environment of the hand hygiene dispenser station.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a usage sensor for detecting an amount of hand hygiene product stored in a housing connected to the hand hygiene product dispenser, the usage sensor operatively coupled to the at least one processor.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is further configured for, upon receiving a notification from the usage sensor that the hand hygiene product is low, transmitting a low hand hygiene product notification.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor is an ultrasound proximity sensor comprising an adjustable range and adjustable direction.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the ultrasound proximity sensor is wirelessly adjustable.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one message is a first message; and

the at least one processor is further configured to facilitate transmission of a second message via the mesh network of hand hygiene dispenser stations, the second message comprising the indication of the proximity indication.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the tag comprises at least one processor configured for transmitting the low energy Bluetooth broadcast including the at least one identifier.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the tag is embedded in a badge reel operatively coupled to an identification badge.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert parameters comprise one or more of the following:

time of day, location, and objects detected.

6. A computer-implemented method for tracking and improving hand hygiene comprising:

providing a first and second hand hygiene dispenser station, the first and second hand hygiene dispenser stations operatively connected via a mesh network and each comprising;

     1) at least one sensor for detecting when a user performs an action to receive a hand hygiene product, the at least one sensor operatively coupled to at least one processor;

     2) an electromechanical usage sensor for detecting when the hand hygiene product is low, the electromechanical usage sensor operatively coupled to the at least one processor; and

     3) memory operatively coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured for;

receiving, by the at least one processor, from a geographically remote data collection server, via the mesh network of hand hygiene dispensers, environmental alert parameters that need to be met for providing an audio indication;

receiving, by the at least one processor, from an ultrasound proximity sensor, a proximity indication that an object is within a predetermined distance of the ultrasound proximity sensor;

upon receiving the proximity indication, receiving, by the at least one processor, one or more low energy Bluetooth broadcasts from a tag embedded in a badge reel of a user;

extracting, from the one or more low energy Bluetooth broadcasts;

one or more unique addresses;

one or more battery levels of a broadcasting device; and

/or

one or more information packets;

determining, by the at least one processor, whether the at least one sensor detects a user performing the action within a predetermined time period; and

upon determining that the at least one sensor did not detect the user performing the action within the predetermined time period;

facilitating, by the at least one processor, playing the audio indication based on determining that at least one of the environmental alert parameters received from the geographically remote data collection server are met;

logging, by the at least one processor, the one or more unique addresses in memory with an indication that the at least one sensor did not detect the user performing the action within the predetermined time period; and

transmitting the one or more unique addresses received from the tag and the indication that the at least one sensor did not detect the user performing the action within the predetermined time period via the mesh network of hand hygiene dispensers.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, the method further comprising providing the tag, the tag comprising at least one processor configured for transmitting the low energy Bluetooth broadcast including at least one of the one or more unique addresses.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the tag is embedded in a badge reel operatively coupled to an identification badge.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the tag comprises an antenna and a battery.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises, upon facilitating playing the audio indication for the user to perform the action, determining, by the at least one processor, whether the action is performed during a second predetermined time period.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises, upon determining that the action was not performed during the second predetermined time period, logging, by the at least one processor, the one or more unique address in memory with an indication that the at least one sensor did not detect the user performing the action within the second predetermined time period.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the proximity indication and the one or more unique addresses are received separately.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the proximity indication and the one or more unique addresses are transmitted at separate times.

12. A first and second hand hygiene detection apparatus, the first and second hand hygiene detection apparatuses operatively connected via a mesh network and operatively connected to a respective hand hygiene product dispenser, the first hand hygiene dispenser further comprising:

a low power digital radio operatively connected to at least one processor configured to receive information from the second hand hygiene detection apparatus and/or from a data server; and

memory operatively coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is operatively configured for;

receiving at least one environmental alert parameter from a geographically remote data collection server, via the mesh network of hand hygiene detection apparatuses, wherein the at least one environmental alert parameter comprises one or more of the following;

time of day, location, and objects detected;

receiving a dispensing event indication, via the mesh network of hand hygiene detection apparatuses, that a dispensing event associated with a particular unique address occurred at the second hand hygiene detection apparatus, wherein the particular unique address is received at the second hand hygiene detection apparatus from a tag associated with a user;

storing the dispensing event indication in memory;

receiving, from an ultrasound proximity sensor, a proximity indication that an object is within a predetermined distance of the dispenser;

upon receiving the proximity indication;

transmitting a proximity indication to at least one tag; and

based on transmitting the proximity indication, receiving one or more unique addresses from the at least one tag;

determining whether the one or more unique addresses includes the particular unique address;

upon determining that the one or more unique addresses includes the particular unique address, determining whether the dispensing event occurred within a predetermined amount of time;

facilitating playing of an audio reminder upon determining that the dispensing event did not occur within the predetermined amount of time or upon determining that the one or more unique addresses does not include the particular unique address, and upon determining that the at least one environmental alert parameter from the geographically remote data collection server, via the mesh network of hand hygiene detection apparatuses has been met.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured for, upon determining that the dispensing event did not occur within the predetermined amount of time, determining whether the first hand hygiene detection apparatus dispenses an anti-bacterial solution within a predetermined amount of time.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured for, upon determining that the first hand hygiene detection apparatus did not dispense the anti-bacterial solution within the predetermined amount of time, creating and storing in memory a data entry indicating the one or more unique addresses and that the first hand hygiene detection apparatus did not dispense the anti-bacterial solution within the predetermined amount of time.