System and method for detecting hand hygiene compliance

• US 10,403,121 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2018
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsensor Labs, LLC
• Original Assignee: Microsensor Labs, LLC
• Inventors: Liu, Peng, Liu, Yang, Huang, Jiapeng
• Primary Examiner(s): Fan, Hongmin
• Application Number:
  US15/946,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20180293873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 1/00 Measuring characteristics of vibrations in solids by using direct conduction to the detector G01H9/00, G01H11/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

A system and method for detecting hand hygiene compliance is disclosed. Hand hygiene is important in various contexts, including hospital settings, home settings, work settings, and school settings. For example, a healthcare provider may wear a wristband, which may interact with a stationary controller that is integrated with or proximate to a hand cleaning agent dispenser. The interaction may be used to determine whether the healthcare provider has complied with hand hygiene protocols. Further, the wristband may be used to train healthcare providers or others (such as children) in proper hand hygiene. Further, the wristband may be used in other contexts, such as integrating hand hygiene monitoring and access control. Also, monitoring people when performing tasks, such as hygiene tasks, cooking, and moving about, may be beneficial to those with cognitive difficulties, such as dementia. A device for detecting the tasks being performed and providing reminders to the people regarding the tasks may help those with dementia.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a hand hygiene event based on interaction of a mobile electronic device and a stationary controller, compliance with the hand hygiene event comprising both movement compliance as to whether movements associated with a person comply with a hand hygiene protocol and hand cleaning agent dispensing compliance as to whether the hand cleaning agent was dispensed, the mobile electronic device comprises a motion sensor, is associated with a person and is tasked with determining the movement compliance, the stationary controller is associated with a dispenser configured to dispense hand cleaning agent and tasked with determining the hand cleaning agent dispensing compliance;

responsive to identifying the hand hygiene event, determining, by the stationary controller, whether the hand cleaning agent dispensing compliance has occurred;

receiving, from the mobile electronic device and responsive to identifying the hand hygiene event, an indication of movement compliance or movement non-compliance, the indication of movement compliance or movement non-compliance being based on the mobile electronic device determining, based on the motion sensor monitoring at least one aspect of the movements associated with the person, the movement compliance or the movement non-compliance with regard to the hand hygiene event; and

transmitting, by the stationary controller, to an electronic device external to the stationary controller, the determination of compliance or non-compliance of the hand hygiene event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the hand hygiene event based on the interaction of the mobile electronic device and the stationary controller comprises the stationary controller receiving a signal from the mobile electronic device of at least a predetermined strength for a predetermined time indicative that the mobile electronic device is proximate to the stationary controller.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the hand cleaning agent dispensing compliance has occurred comprises monitoring whether the dispenser has dispensed the hand cleaning agent within a predetermined time since identifying the hand hygiene event.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the stationary controller monitors whether the dispenser has dispensed the hand cleaning agent by analyzing sound data to determine whether the sound data is indicative of the dispenser dispensing the hand cleaning agent;

and

wherein the stationary controller is configured to transmit and receive data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile electronic device comprises a wristband electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to identifying the hand hygiene event, generating by the stationary controller an output, the output indicative to the person to obtain the hand cleaning agent from the dispenser.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, responsive to determining non-compliance with regard to the hand hygiene event, generating an output on one or both of the mobile electronic device and stationary controller.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the output generated comprises vibrating the mobile electronic device.

9. A method comprising:

identifying a hand hygiene event based on determining whether a mobile electronic device being proximate to at least one stationary controller, the mobile electronic device is associated with a person, the at least one stationary controller comprising a dispenser-associated stationary controller associated with a dispenser configured to dispense hand cleaning agent;

responsive to identifying the hand hygiene event, monitoring at least one aspect of the hand hygiene event;

determining, based on monitoring the at least one aspect of the hand hygiene event, at least one of compliance or non-compliance with regard to the hand hygiene event;

determining a protective equipment protocol for the person; and

responsive to determining that the mobile electronic device is proximate to the at least one stationary controller, generating an output indicating the protective equipment protocol.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one stationary controller is associated with an area for a patient;

and

further comprising programming the at least one stationary controller to indicate a specific protective equipment protocol, from a plurality of protective equipment protocols, based on treating the patient.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of protective equipment protocols comprise a face mask protocol and a gown protocol.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one stationary controller generates the output indicating the specific protective equipment protocol.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one stationary controller, a status of the person;

responsive to receiving the status, determining, by the at least one stationary controller based on the received status, whether to generate the output indicating the specific protective equipment protocol; and

responsive to determining, based on the received status, to generate the output, generating, by the at least one stationary controller, the output indicating the specific protective equipment protocol.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the output comprises an audio output.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the output is generated by the at least one stationary controller.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the output is generated by the mobile electronic device.

17. A method for determining compliance with a hand hygiene event, the determination of the compliance with the hand hygiene event comprising both movement compliance as to whether movements associated with a person comply with a hand hygiene protocol and hand cleaning agent dispensing compliance as to whether the hand cleaning agent was dispensed, the method comprising:

identifying the hand hygiene event based on interaction of a mobile electronic device and a stationary controller, the mobile electronic device associated with a person and tasked with determining the movement compliance, the stationary controller associated with a dispenser configured to dispense hand cleaning agent and tasked with determining the hand cleaning agent dispensing compliance; and

responsive to identifying the hand hygiene event;

determining, by the stationary controller, whether the hand cleaning agent dispensing compliance has occurred;

monitoring, by the mobile electronic device, at least one aspect of the movements associated with the person; and

determining, by the mobile electronic device and based on monitoring the at least one aspect of the movements associated with the person, movement compliance or movement non-compliance with regard to the hand hygiene event,

wherein the determination of the compliance with the hand hygiene event is based on both the determination by the mobile electronic device of the movement compliance and the determination by the stationary controller that the hand cleaning agent dispensing compliance has occurred, and

wherein at least one subsequent interaction, after the interaction of the mobile electronic device and the stationary controller to identify the hand hygiene event, between the mobile electronic device and the stationary controller is used for the determination of the compliance or non-compliance with the hand hygiene event.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein one of the mobile electronic device or the stationary controller determines its respective compliance determination;

and

wherein responsive to the one of the mobile electronic device or the stationary controller determining its respective compliance determination, the one of the mobile electronic device or the stationary controller transmits a communication to another of the mobile electronic device or the stationary controller, the communication indicative to the another of the mobile electronic device or the stationary controller to begin its respective compliance determination.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein responsive to the another of the mobile electronic device or the stationary controller completing its respective compliance determination, the another of the mobile electronic device or the stationary controller transmits a second communication to the one of the mobile electronic device or the stationary controller, the second communication indicative of the another of the mobile electronic device or the stationary controller respective compliance determination;

and

wherein responsive to receiving the second communication, the one of the mobile electronic device or the stationary controller sends a hand hygiene compliance communication to a separate electronic device, the hand hygiene compliance communication indicative to the separate electronic device of the compliance or the non-compliance with the hand hygiene event.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein responsive to the stationary controller determining that the hand cleaning agent dispensing compliance has occurred, the stationary controller sends the communication to the mobile electronic device, the communication indicative to the mobile electronic device to begin monitoring the movements associated with the person in order for the mobile electronic device to determine the movement compliance or the movement non-compliance;

wherein responsive to the mobile electronic device determining the movement compliance or the movement non-compliance, the mobile electronic device sends the second communication to the stationary controller indicative of the movement compliance or the movement non-compliance; and

wherein responsive to receiving the second communication, the stationary controller sends the hand hygiene compliance communication to a server.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein one of the mobile electronic device or the stationary controller determines its respective compliance determination;

and

wherein responsive to the one of the mobile electronic device or the stationary controller determining its respective compliance determination, the one of the mobile electronic device or the stationary controller transmits a communication to another of the mobile electronic device or the stationary controller.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the communication is indicative of the respective compliance determination.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein responsive to receiving the communication and responsive to the another of the mobile electronic device or the stationary controller determining its respective compliance determination, the another of the mobile electronic device or the stationary controller sends a hand hygiene compliance communication to a separate electronic device, the hand hygiene compliance communication indicative to the separate electronic device of the movement compliance and the hand cleaning agent dispensing compliance.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein responsive to the mobile electronic device determining the movement compliance or the movement non-compliance, the mobile electronic device sends the communication to the stationary controller indicative of the movement compliance or the movement non-compliance.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the mobile electronic device wirelessly transmits, to an electronic device external to the mobile electronic device, the determination of the movement compliance or the movement non-compliance in order for the electronic device external to the mobile electronic device to determine compliance or non-compliance of the hand hygiene event.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the electronic device external to the mobile electronic device comprises the stationary controller.

27. The method of claim 17, wherein partial compliance comprises compliance with one of the hand cleaning agent dispensing compliance or movement compliance and non-compliance with another of the hand cleaning agent dispensing compliance or movement compliance;

and

wherein one of the mobile electronic device or stationary controller determines partial compliance.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein partial compliance comprises compliance with hand cleaning agent dispensing compliance and non-compliance with movement compliance.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the stationary controller determines partial compliance.