Hand washing compliance and monitoring system

• US 10,475,329 B1
• Filed: 06/02/2017
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tuway American Group, Inc
• Original Assignee: Tuway American Group, Inc
• Inventors: Koester, Douglas, Muscott, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi C
• Application Number:
  US15/613,006
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 3405731, 34053911-53913, 3405734, 340529, 340603
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/06 Dispensers for soap
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands

Abstract

A method of hand hygiene compliance enforcement and hand hygiene system comprising at least one dispenser unit that has an interior chamber containing a volume of hand soap or sanitizer and a dispenser nozzle configured to dispense a measured volume of hand soap or sanitizing material upon a triggering event. The dispenser also has a control unit mounted therein, the control unit is in electronic communication with the dispenser nozzle and has at least one identity sensor, at least one alarm indicator and at least one transmitter. The hand hygiene system also has at least one proximity sensor in electronic communication with the control unit. The proximity sensor is located a spaced distance from the at least one dispenser.

Claims

1. A hand hygiene system comprising:

at least one dispenser unit having an outer housing defining an interior chamber and a dispenser nozzle, the interior chamber containing a volume of a hand soap or sanitizing agent and the dispenser nozzle configured to release a measured amount of the hand soap or sanitizing agent upon a triggering event, the at least one dispenser unit is associated with at least one objective unit located within a defined perimeter;

a plurality of worker-specific RFID devices, wherein at least one worker carries one of the plurality of worker-specific RFID devices;

at least one control unit mounted to the dispenser unit, the control unit in electronic communication with the dispenser nozzle, the control unit having at least one RFID identity sensor, the RFID identity sensor having a mechanism for determining and identifying a worker located proximate to the dispenser unit by detecting the presence of at least one of the plurality of worker-specific RFID devices, at least one alarm indicator and at least one transceiver facilitating two-way communication with at least one device remote to the hand hygiene system; and

at least one first proximity sensor in electronic communication with the control unit, the first proximity sensor located a spaced distance from the at least one dispenser, wherein the first proximity sensor positioned proximate to an entry and egress portal, wherein the at least one dispenser unit is associated with at least one objective unit and wherein the objective unit is located within the defined perimeter and wherein the entry and egress port is located on the defined perimeter;

at least one second proximity sensor in electronic communication with the control unit,

the at least one second proximity sensor located a spaced distance from the at least one dispenser and from the first proximity sensor, the second proximity sensor positioned at a location between the entry and egress portal and the objective unit, the second proximity sensor defining an inner boundary located between the portal and the objective unit such that the defined perimeter includes a first region and a second region, the at least one dispenser unit and the entry and egress portal located in the first region and the objective unit located in the second region, the objective unit being distal to the portal, the at least one second proximity sensor configured detect forward movement of a worker from the first region to the second region toward the objective unit;

wherein the alarm indicator on the dispenser unit includes an audible alarm, a visible alarm, or a combination of an audible alarm and a visible alarm, and wherein the dispenser unit includes at least one alarm shut off mechanism, the alarm shut off mechanism operatively connected to the dispenser nozzle;

wherein the first proximity sensor is configured to identify movement of at least one worker in a coordinate

plane having an X-Y axis relative to the entry and egress portal, wherein the X axis traverses the entry and egress portal and the Y axis is planar to the egress and entry portal, the first proximity sensor located proximate to the entry and egress portal, and wherein the first proximity sensor is configured to identify and characterized movement in the X-axis plane from movement of at least one the worker in the Y-axis plane.

2. The hand hygiene system of claim 1, further comprising a central processing unit, the central processing unit associated with one of the first proximity sensor, the second proximity sensor or the dispenser unit, and at least one remote transmission device mounted on either the proximity sensor or the dispenser unit, the transmission device in communication with at least one remote receiver unit.

3. The hand hygiene system of claim 2, wherein the worker specific RFID devices can be indexed by sensors positioned on the at least one first proximity sensor, the dispenser unit, and the at least one second proximity sensor wherein at least a portion of the worker-specific RFID devices includes at least one worker class indicator.

4. The hand hygiene system of claim 3, further comprising at least one programmed controller associated with the at least one control unit, the programmed controller having programming logic that compares an activation time of triggering of the at least one first proximity sensor located a spaced distance from the at least one dispenser with a programmed transit time to assess dispenser activation and classification of at least one worker specific RFID device after detection by the RFID identity sensor of the control unit.

5. The hand hygiene system of claim 4, further comprising at least one activation detection mechanism associated with the dispenser nozzle, the activation detection mechanism in operative connection with the programmed controller.

6. The hand hygiene system of claim 1, wherein the objective unit is one of a patient bed, a patient wrist band, a medical device and wherein the objective unit includes at least one identity device detectable by the at least one control unit mounted to the at least one dispenser unit.

7. The hand hygiene system of claim 3, wherein the first proximity sensor is further configured to identify a worker transiting the X-axis defined by the first proximity sensor by worker function classification data present on the worker-specific RFID device, wherein the worker function classification data present on the worker-specific RFID device includes either a first worker classification or a second worker classification, and wherein the first worker classification triggers a preprogrammed activation time and the second worker classification that does not trigger the preprogrammed activation time.

8. A method for promoting and monitoring hand hygiene in a defined space comprising the steps of:

providing at least one interior room having an entry and egress portal defining a room boundary with at least one first proximity sensor positioned proximate to the entry and egress portal, wherein the first proximity sensor is configured to detect a presence and an identity of at least one worker-carried RFID device as the RFID device crosses the room boundary associated with the at least one interior room;

providing the at least one first proximity sensor and at least one second proximity sensor

both in electronic communication with a control unit and located a spaced distance from at least one dispenser unit the first proximity sensor positioned at a location between an entry and egress portal and an objective unit the second proximity sensor located between the portal and the objective unit and defining an interior boundary such that the room boundary has a first region and a second region, and the entry and egress portal is located in the first region and the objective unit is located in the second region distal to the entry and egress portal, the second proximity sensor configured to detect forward movement of a worker from the first region to the second region toward the objective unit;

providing at least one dispenser unit configured with an interior chamber, the interior chamber-containing one of a hand soap or sanitizer material, the interior chamber accessible by a dispenser nozzle, the dispenser unit located in the first region of the room at a spaced distance from the first proximity sensor, the dispenser unit having at least one control unit configured to electronically communicate with the at least one first proximity sensor and the at least one second proximity sensor within the room wherein the second proximity sensor is configured to detect the presence of at least one identified worker carried RFID device at a location proximate thereto, at least one transceiver facilitating two-way communication with at least one device remote to room boundary, a signal detector and at least one alarm indicator;

generating at least one signal in the at least one first proximity sensor, the signal directed by the transceiver in the dispenser unit, wherein the generating step is triggered by detection of at least one worker-carried RFID device crossing the room boundary;

initiating a wait sequence interval wherein, upon receipt of the signal from the transceiver, the wait sequence terminates, termination occurring with receipt of an alarm signal from the dispenser or a predetermined interval, whichever is shorter;

when the dispenser nozzle is activated, determining the worker-carried RFID device proximate to the dispenser unit at the time of actuation; and

generating an alarm upon receipt of the alarm signal, the alarm having at least one physically detectable component, the physically detectable component being at least one of an audible sound, a visible light, or signal; and

differentiating at least two classes worker-carried RFID devices wherein at least one class of worker-carried RFID devices is an exempted class and is configured to be detected by the first proximity sensor without triggering the signal generating step.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second proximity sensor defines at least one inner boundary located between the entry and egress portal and the objective unit, the second proximity sensor configured to detect forward movement of a worker carrying at least one of the exempted class worker-carried RFID devices into the room toward the objective unit, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

detecting the exempted class worker-carried RFID device;

and calculating transit relative to the second proximity sensor, wherein transit over the inner boundary generates at least one signal in the second proximity sensor, the signal directed by the signal detector in the dispenser unit and generating at least one alarm activation signal.