Method and Apparatus for Cataloging and Poling Movement in an Environment for Purposes of Tracking and/or Containment of Infectious Diseases

• US 20070222599A1
• Filed: 02/11/2005
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cstar Technologies Inc
• Original Assignee: Cstar Technologies Inc
• Inventors: Huang, Yuping, Coveley, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,817,046 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.400
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 15/00 Tags attached to, or associated with, an object, in order to enable detection of the object record carriers for use with machines having a detectable tag or marker G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/10 together with the recording, indicating or registering of other data, e.g. of signs of identity
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2011/02 related to amusement parks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/80 for detecting, monitoring or modelling epidemics or pandemics, e.g. flu
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A system and method for containing and restricting spread of infectious diseases within hospitals, clinics and other medical facilities by cataloguing and delimiting movement of patients, medical staff, employees, visitors, contractors and other personnel attending or on-site. The system also provides for tracking and cataloguing contaminated medical apparatus, medicine trolleys, food trolleys, medical gas stations, laundry baskets and other mobile or movable medical equipment or facility equipment to prevent spread of the infectious disease or viral entities. According to another aspect, the system includes a poling or supervisory network for auditing the presence or absence of patients, medical staff and other personnel; and medical apparatus, movable equipment or other facility equipment.

Claims

1. A system for providing containment of an infectious disease in a facility, said system comprising:

a plurality of scrutinizers, each of said scrutinizers including a receiver for receiving an identification signal, and further including an output module for outputting a signal in response to said identification signal being received;

a plurality of identification tags, one of said identification tags being worn by each person having entry in the facility, and each of said identification tags including a transmitter for transmitting the identification signal associated with the person wearing said respective identification tag;

said plurality of scrutinizers being located throughout the facility including and including an entrance scrutinizer, an exit scrutinizer, and one or more passageway scrutinizers;

a controller, said controller having an input port for receiving said output signals generated by each of said scrutinizers, and further including a processing module, said processing module having a sub-module for creating a record for each of said persons having entry in the facility, said record including temporal information from one or more of said scrutinizers having detected the identification signal associated with the person.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said record further includes positional data, said positional data comprising the location of said scrutinizer having detected the identification signal associated with the person.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, further including a plurality of apparatus tags, said apparatus tags being attached to selected equipment in the facility, and each of said apparatus tags including a transmitter for transmitting an identification signal associated with said equipment carrying one of said apparatus tags.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said processing module includes another sub-module for creating a record for said equipment, said record including temporal information from one or more of said scrutinizers having detected the identification signal associated with said equipment.

5. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said transmitter comprises a RFID transponder, and said scrutinizer comprises a RFID interrogator.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the output module for said scrutinizer comprises a wireless communication interface operating a communication protocol.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said controller comprises a computer system, and said input port comprises a wireless interface, said wireless interface operating a communication protocol compatible with the communication protocol for said wireless communication interface.

8. A method for tracking potential carriers of an infectious disease in a facility, said method comprising the steps of:

assigning a unique identifier to each individual having access to the facility, and providing each of said individuals with a transmitter for transmitting the assigned unique identifier;

detecting transmission of the unique identifiers for said individuals at one or more locations in the facility based on movement of said individuals;

establishing a record for each of said individuals, each of said records including temporal data indicating time and date for detection of the unique identifier for said associated individual;

storing said records and making said records available for retrieval;

identifying one or more of said individuals as the potential carriers based on a disease condition;

retrieving said records associated with each of said identified individuals;

establishing an area of movement for each of said identified individuals, said area of movement being based on said temporal data and said plurality of locations in the facility where the unique identifier was detected.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, further including the step of identifying any other individuals who where within said areas of movement, said other individuals being identified as other potential carriers.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, further including the step of initiating an alarm when movement of one or more of said identified individuals is detected beyond a defined area.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, further including the step of assigning a unique identifier to each of a plurality of apparatus movable in the facility.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said step of establishing an area of movement includes identifying any apparatus present in said area of movement, and establishing an area of apparatus movement for said apparatus present.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, further including the step of identifying any other individuals who where within said areas of apparatus movement, said other individuals being identified as other potential carriers.

14. A system for tracking the movement of persons in a facility as potential carriers of an infectious virus or disease, said system comprising:

a plurality of receivers, each of said receivers having an input for receiving an identification signal, each of the persons in the facility having an associated identification signal, and each of said receivers including an output for outputting an output signal for each of said identification signals;

a plurality of transmitters, each of the persons wearing one of said transmitters, and each of said transmitters transmitting the identification signal associated with the person;

said plurality of receivers being located throughout the facility;

a controller having an input port for receiving the output signals, and including a component for generating a temporal record for each of the persons in response to the detection of said identification signal of the person by one or more of said receivers.

15. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein one or more of said transmitters are attached to apparatus in the facility, and each of said transmitters transmits an identification signal associated with said apparatus.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said controller includes another component for generating a temporal record for each of said apparatus in response to the detection of the identification signal of said apparatus by one or more of said receivers.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said transmitter comprises a RFID transponder, and said receiver comprises a RFID interrogator.

18. The system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the output for said receiver comprises a wireless communication interface operating a communication protocol.

19. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein said controller comprises a computer system, and said input port comprises a wireless interface, said wireless interface operating a communication protocol compatible with the communication protocol for said wireless communication interface.

20. A system for tracking and auditing the movement of persons in a facility, said system comprising:

a first network having a plurality of receivers, each of said receivers having an input for receiving an identification signal, each of the persons in the facility having an associated identification signal, and each of said receivers including an output for outputting an output signal for each of said identification signals;

a plurality of transmitters, each of the persons wearing one of said transmitters, and each of said transmitters transmitting the identification signal associated with the person;

said plurality of receivers being located throughout the facility;

a controller having an input port for receiving the output signals, and including a component for generating a temporal record for each of the persons in response to the detection of said identification signal of the person by one or more of said receivers;

a second network having a plurality of transceivers, each of said transceivers having a poling transmitter for transmitting a poling request to said transmitters, and each of said transceivers having a poling receiver for receiving identification signals in response to said poling requests; and

said controller further including an interface for receiving said poled identification signals, and having a component for generating an audit record for each of said transmitters in response to said poling request.

21. The system as claimed in claim 20, wherein said poling transmitter transmits said poling requests on a predetermined time basis.

22. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein said transceiver comprises a Balun antenna, said Balun antenna having input and output port coupled to a network module having a communication interface for transmitting and receiving signals from said associated Balun antenna.

23. The system as claimed in claim 20, wherein said controller includes a component for reconciling identification signals associated with persons who have left the facility, and the absence of a poled identification signal in response to the poling request.

24. The system as claimed in claim 20, wherein said controller includes a component for monitoring identification signals associated with persons who randomly leave and enter the facility.

25. The system as claimed in claim 23, wherein component for reconciling identification signals further includes a component for monitoring persons who have left the facility and remain on call for a possible call to return to the facility.

26. An identification apparatus for use with a system for tracking the movement of persons in a facility, said identification tag comprising:

a carrier member having a first surface;

a passive antenna;

an active antenna;

said passive antenna comprising one or more windings mounted on said first surface in proximity to the periphery of the carrier member;

said active antenna comprising one or more windings mounted on said first surface and within the periphery of the windings for said passive antenna;

a receiver circuit;

a transmitter circuit; and

said receiver and said transmitter circuits being electronically coupled to said passive and said active antennas.

27. The identification apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein said passive antenna has an operating frequency of approximately 13.56 MHz and said active antenna has an operating frequency of approximately 466 MHz.

28. The identification apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein said passive antenna has an operating frequency of approximately 13.56 MHz and said active antenna has an operating frequency of approximately 860 MHz.

29. The identification apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein said passive antenna has an operating frequency of approximately 860 MHz and said active antenna has an operating frequency of approximately 2.4 GHz.

30. The identification apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein the windings for said active antenna are thinner than the windings for said passive antenna.

31. A method for tracking and auditing the movement of persons in a facility, said method comprising the steps of:

assigning an identifier to each person having access to the facility, and providing each of said persons with a transmitter for transmitting the assigned identifier;

detecting transmission of the identifiers for said persons at one or more locations in the facility based on movement of said persons;

establishing a record for each of said persons, each of said records including temporal data indicating time and date for detection of the identifier for said associated person;

storing said records and making said records available for retrieval;

poling said transmitters by sending one or more poling requests to one or more of said transmitters;

receiving identification signals from said transmitters in response to said poling request;

generating an audit record for said transmitters based on the identification signal received in response to said poling request.

32. The method as claimed in claim 31, wherein said poling requests are transmitted by a poling transmitter on a predetermined time basis.

33. The method as claimed in claim 31, further including the step of reconciling missing identification signals with persons who have left the facility.

34. The method as claimed in claim 31, further including the step of monitoring identification signals associated with persons who randomly leave and enter the facility.

35. The method as claimed in claim 31, further including the step of monitoring persons who have left the facility and remain on call for a possible call to return to the facility, said monitoring operation utilizing said poled identification signals.

36. The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein said transmitters are applied to apparatus in the facility for tracking and auditing movement of said apparatus.

37. The method as claimed in claim 36, further including the step of initiating an alarm condition for a person or apparatus which is non-responsive to one or more of said poling requests.