Tracing hand cleaner

• US 20080031838A1
• Filed: 08/03/2006
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Biovigil LLC
• Original Assignee: Biovigil LLC
• Inventors: Bolling, Steven F.
• Application Number:
  US11/498,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20080031838A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 424/70.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/18 characterised by the composition
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/18 Liquid substances or solutions comprising solids or dissolved gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/28 Devices for testing the effectiveness or completeness of sterilisation, e.g. indicators which change colour apparatus involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M1/34; methods involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 19/10 Washing or bathing preparations
• 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

Among other things, a tracer material that is or has been part of a skin cleaner composition is detected, and based on detecting the tracer material, at least one characteristic of the cleaner composition is determined.

Claims

1. A method comprising

detecting a tracer material that is or has been part of a skin cleaner composition, and

based on detecting the tracer material, determining at least one characteristic of the cleaner composition.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the characteristic of the cleaner comprises an identification of a source of the skin cleaner composition.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the characteristic of the cleaner composition comprises an identification associated with its formulation.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the detecting comprises detecting light or other radiation emanating from or reflected from the tracer material.

5. The method of claim 4 in which the tracer material comprises metallic or plastic particles or both.

6. The method of claim 4 in which the detecting occurs when the tracer material is present on the skin of a user.

7. The method of claim 1 also comprising identifying a discrepancy between a characteristic of the cleaner composition and a predetermined characteristics.

8. The method of claim 1 also comprising reporting the results of the determining to a facility in which a user of the cleaner works or to a regulatory or governmental body.

9. The method of claim 1 also comprising monitoring a presence of the skin cleaner at a level that exceeds a threshold indicating disinfection.

10. The method of claim 9 in which the monitoring or a result of monitoring of the presence of the skin cleaner at a level that exceeds a threshold is blocked based on the result of determining the characteristic of the cleaner composition based on detecting the tracer material.

11. The method of claim 10 in which the blocking occurs if a characteristic of the cleaner composition is determined not to match a predetermined characteristic.

12. A composition comprising

a cleaner composition comprising one or more skin cleaning components, and

a tracer component having a detectable characteristic that is associated with an identity of a supplier of the composition or a formulation of the composition.

13. The composition of claim 12 in which the cleaner comprises ethanol.

14. A method comprising

associating a tracer material with a characteristic of a skin cleaner,

combining the skin cleaner with the tracer material, and

supplying the skin cleaner with the tracer material for use in a facility that provides supplies of the skin cleaner with the tracer material to users and a tracer system to detect the tracer material on skin of the users.

15. The method of claim 14 also including determining a discrepancy between the characteristic of the skin cleaner and a predefined characteristic of the skin cleaner.

16. The method of claim 14 in which the characteristic of the skin cleaner comprises the source or formulation of the skin cleaner.

17. An apparatus comprising

supplies of a skin cleaner that includes a tracer material that is associated with a characteristic of the skin cleaner, and

tracer monitoring equipment to detect the tracer material on hands of users of the skin cleaner and to associate the tracer material with the characteristic of the skin cleaner.

18. An apparatus comprising

a monitor to detect a tracer material in a skin cleaner composition on a user'"'"'s skin, and

a device to prevent a test for a cleaner component in the composition from being reported as a successful test unless the detecting of the tracer material indicates that the composition has a predetermined characteristic.

19. A method comprising

supplying a skin cleaner composition having a tracer component to a facility in which users will use the composition to clean their skin in accordance with a policy of the facility, and

supplying badges to the facility to be worn by the users to detect a cleaner component of the composition on the skin of a user as an indicator of a cleanliness state, to detect the tracer component on the skin of a user, and to block an indication of a detection of the cleaner component unless the tracer component has also been detected.

20. The method of claim 19 also including reporting a failure to detect the tracer component to an interested party.

21. An apparatus comprising

a wearable device that includes a monitor to detect, on a skin of a user, a presence of a cleaning component of a cleaning composition and a presence of a tracer component of the cleaner composition.