Method and system for hand washing compliance

• US 10,410,507 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2016
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konrad David Pi
• Original Assignee: Konrad David Pi
• Inventors: Pi, Konrad David
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Hirdepal
• Application Number:
  US15/579,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20180151054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 3405731
• 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 method and system for user hand washing compliance is described. An exemplary embodiment of the method may comprise the steps of: receiving a request from a user to enter a hand-washing-compliance-area, wherein the request is received by an entry-sensor; the entry-sensor may cause initiation of a hand-washing-cycle log entry; releasing water from a washer for pre-rinsing hands of the user; releasing soap from a soap-dispenser for soaping the hands of the user; releasing water from the washer to rinse the soaped hands of the user; and providing a means-to-dry-hands from a hand-dryer for drying the hands of the user. The user may initiate each step with a user-transmitter based on physical proximity and/or by appropriate hand-gestures before a gesture-recognition-camera. Upon the user initiating each step, the gesture-recognition-camera optionally records each step. And at least one server may receive said recordings and validate each step as compliant or non-compliant.

Claims

1. A system for user hand washing compliance comprising:

a user-transmitter, wherein the user-transmitter is integral to a wrist-band or an identification-card, wherein the user-transmitter is maintained with a user, wherein the user- transmitter comprises a wireless-transmitter, wherein the wireless-transmitter wirelessly transmits a first-wireless-transmission;

an entry-sensor, wherein the entry-sensor is located at an access point to a hand-washing-compliance-area, wherein the entry-sensor comprises a sensor-receiver, a sensor-transmitter, and a sensor-power-source;

wherein the sensor-receiver is configured to receive the first-wireless-transmission;

wherein the sensor-transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit a second-wireless-transmission; and

wherein the sensor-power-source is configured to provide electrical power to the sensor-receiver and to the sensor-transmitter;

a washer, wherein the washer comprises a means for dispensing water, a washer-receiver, a washer-transmitter, and a washer-power-source;

wherein the washer- receiver is configured to receive transmissions from at least one server and/or the user- transmitter;

wherein the washer-transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit a third-wireless- transmission; and

wherein the washer-power-source is configured to provide electrical power to the washer-receiver and to the washer-transmitter;

a soap-dispenser, wherein the soap-dispenser comprises a means for dispensing soap, a soap-dispenser-receiver, a soap-dispenser-transmitter, and a soap-dispenser-power- source;

wherein the soap-dispenser-receiver is configured to receive transmissions from the at least one server and/or the user-transmitter;

wherein the soap-dispenser-transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit a fourth-wireless-transmission; and

wherein the soap- dispenser-power-source is configured to provide electrical power to the soap-dispenser-receiver and to the soap-dispenser-transmitter;

a camera, wherein the camera comprises digital-optics, a camera-receiver, a camera-transmitter, and a camera-power-source;

wherein the camera-receiver is configured to receive transmissions from the at least one server and/or the user-transmitter;

wherein the camera-transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit a first-recording, a-second recording, and, a third recording; and

wherein the camera-power-source is configured to provide electrical power to the digital-optics, the camera-receiver and to the camera-transmitter; and

the at least one server, wherein the at least one server comprises;

a processor, memory, network-adapter, and a server-power-source, wherein the memory non-transitorily stores executable software and user-hand-washing-logs, wherein the processor controls outputs directed to the network-adapter for communication to one or more target devices per instructions contained within the executable software for handling various inputs received via the network-adapter, wherein the network-adapter facilitates communications across a wide- area-network and/or a local-area-network with target devices, wherein the server-power-source provides electrical power to the processor, the memory, and network-adapter;

wherein, receipt of the first-wireless-transmission by the sensor-entry initiates transmission of the second-wireless-transmission by the sensor-entry;

wherein, the second-wireless-transmission comprises information logging initiation of a hand-washing-cycle in the user-hand-washing-log, wherein the hand-washing- cycle comprises at least one log entry pertaining to a given user'"'"'s interactions with the system, wherein the user-hand-washing-log is a database;

wherein the third-wireless-transmission comprises information;

noting the washer is on with running water, noting the washer is off with no running water, noting completion of a defined-first-duration, and/or noting completion of a defined-third-duration;

wherein the fourth-wireless-transmission comprises information;

noting the soap-dispenser is on and activated, noting the soap-dispenser is off, and/or completion of a defined- second-duration;

wherein the first-recording is of the user wetting hands under water running from the washer during the defined-first-duration;

wherein the second-recording is of the user receiving soap from the soap-dispenser;

wherein the third-recording is of the user washing and subsequently rinsing the soap from the user'"'"'s hands during the defined-third-duration;

wherein the at least one server transmits a hand-washing-cycle-completion-signal to one or more of the user-transmitter, the entry-sensor, the washer, the camera, and/or the soap-dispenser;

wherein receipt of the hand-washing-cycle-completion-signal results in a completion-feedback-signal being broadcast to the user.