Hand hygiene verification/tracking system and method
First Claim
1. A hand hygiene verification and tracking system for determining the frequency and effectiveness of the hand hygiene of each of a group of individuals involved, for example, in a facility providing health care or processing/handling food, in which proper hygiene is determined by detecting an acceptable level of light emitted by a marker provided as a constituent of a soap/disinfectant comprising:
- a) at least one dispenser for dispensing a soap/disinfectant containing the marker onto an individual'"'"'s hands, when actuated;
b) at least one marker activator for illuminating the marker present in the soap/disinfectant present on an individual'"'"'s hands after a hand cleaning/disinfectant procedure;
c) at least one photometric detector for measuring the light emitted or reflected by the marker present on the individual'"'"'s hands;
d) individual identifier means associated with said at least one photometric detector for identifying the individual whose hands are being examined by the detector; and
e) data processing means responsive to said at least one photometric detector and the associated individual identifier means for
1) comparing the level of the light measured by the detector with a preset level representative that the hands have passed or failed the acceptable hygiene standard;
2) correlating the pass/fail indication with the identified individual; and
3) recording the event.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for monitoring and tracking the thoroughness of hand washing/cleansing of personnel who must undergo hand hygiene frequently during a day'"'"'s work schedule including (1) dispensers for dispensing a soap/disinfectant containing a visibly detectable marker agent, (2) photometric means for quantitatively measuring the marker agent present after an individual'"'"'s hand cleansing procedure and determining whether or not a preset standard of hand hygiene has been met, (3) means for recording the time/date of each hygiene event along with the identity of the involved individual, and (4) collating the data into a coherent report of the hand hygiene frequency and effectiveness undergone by each staff for each day as well as tracking the history of compliance by each individual, department, etc.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A hand hygiene verification and tracking system for determining the frequency and effectiveness of the hand hygiene of each of a group of individuals involved, for example, in a facility providing health care or processing/handling food, in which proper hygiene is determined by detecting an acceptable level of light emitted by a marker provided as a constituent of a soap/disinfectant comprising:
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a) at least one dispenser for dispensing a soap/disinfectant containing the marker onto an individual'"'"'s hands, when actuated; b) at least one marker activator for illuminating the marker present in the soap/disinfectant present on an individual'"'"'s hands after a hand cleaning/disinfectant procedure; c) at least one photometric detector for measuring the light emitted or reflected by the marker present on the individual'"'"'s hands; d) individual identifier means associated with said at least one photometric detector for identifying the individual whose hands are being examined by the detector; and e) data processing means responsive to said at least one photometric detector and the associated individual identifier means for
1) comparing the level of the light measured by the detector with a preset level representative that the hands have passed or failed the acceptable hygiene standard;
2) correlating the pass/fail indication with the identified individual; and
3) recording the event. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A hand hygiene verification and tracking system for determining whether or not a group of individuals involved, for example, in a facility providing heath care or processing/handling food, have cleaned/disinfected their hands to an acceptable standard in which proper hygiene is determined by detecting an acceptable level of induced phosphorescent/fluorescent light emitted from a fluorescent/phosphorescent marker provided as a constituent of a soap/disinfectant solution comprising:
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a) at least one dispenser for dispensing a given quantity of a soap/disinfectant solution containing the marker; b) at least one marker activator for illuminating the marker present on an individual'"'"'s hands with U.V. or IR light; c) at least one photometric detector for providing a light level signal representative of the induced fluorescent/phosphorescent intensity emitted by the hands; d) an interactive radio frequency tag to be worn by each individual; e) a tag reader associated with each photometric detector for providing an individual ID code identifier signal representative of the individual; f) data processing means responsive to the detector and tag reader for comparing the light level signal with a preset level representative of an acceptable hand hygiene standard for providing a pass or fail signal and for recording data representing the pass/fail condition along with the time, date and individual'"'"'s identity. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A method of verifying and tracking the effectiveness of hand hygiene of each of a group of individuals involved, for example, in the heath care or food processing/handling fields, comprising:
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a) providing a plurality of soap/rinse-less disinfectant dispensers which when activated will dispense a given quantity of the disinfectant, the disinfectant including a marker visibly detectable when exposed to light in the UV, IR or visible spectrum; b) each individual possessing individual identifying means; c) providing a plurality of monitors possessing the capability of (1) ascertaining the presence and identity of an individual in the proximate vicinity, (2) detecting the quantity of the marker on an individual'"'"'s hands when presented thereto, and (3) providing a passing or failing grade when the quantity of the marker is at or above a preset amount or below the amount, respectively; d) directing each individual when in the proximity of a monitor to (1) activate the respective dispenser, (2) cleanse his/her hands with the same; and
(3) expose the hands to the monitor for examination;e) reading and recording the time, date, grade and the identity of each individual undergoing the cleansing/examination event; and f) correlating the data with respect to all of the individuals to provide a history of the hand hygiene of each individual and of the group. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification