Wireless Hand Hygiene Monitoring System
First Claim
1. A method for monitoring hand hygiene policy in a communication system that includes at least one mobile electronic device having a radio transceiver, at least one wireless base station and a central computer, comprising:
- detecting through the radio transceiver of the mobile electronic device at least one signal of at least one radio transmitter of at least one base station;
communicating signal strength data indicating the strength of at least one signal from the mobile electronic device to the central computer by means of the radio transceiver; and
determining at the central computer whether a user of the mobile electronic device is in compliance with a hand hygiene policy based at least partially on the signal strength data received from the mobile electronic device.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and mobile electronic device for monitoring hand hygiene policy compliance is provided. The device comprises a radio transceiver and is configured to detect proximity to base stations by measuring radio signal strength from the base stations and to communicate the proximity information to a central computer via the radio transceiver and to receive notification of compliance or non-compliance with the hand hygiene policy from the central computer. The central computer determines compliance by tracking the location of device in relation to the base stations and monitoring hand hygiene events reported by hand hygiene base stations.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for monitoring hand hygiene policy in a communication system that includes at least one mobile electronic device having a radio transceiver, at least one wireless base station and a central computer, comprising:
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detecting through the radio transceiver of the mobile electronic device at least one signal of at least one radio transmitter of at least one base station; communicating signal strength data indicating the strength of at least one signal from the mobile electronic device to the central computer by means of the radio transceiver; and determining at the central computer whether a user of the mobile electronic device is in compliance with a hand hygiene policy based at least partially on the signal strength data received from the mobile electronic device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for monitoring hand hygiene policy compliance for a system that includes a plurality of mobile electronic devices each associated with a device user, a plurality of hand hygiene stations at which device users can perform hand hygiene events and that are each enabled to transmit wireless signals, and a central computer enabled to exchange messages with the mobile electronic devices using a wireless network, the method comprising:
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receiving at the central computer messages from the wireless network sent by at least some of the mobile electronic devices, at least some of the messages including proximity information representing the proximity of the sending mobile electronic devices to one or more of the hand hygiene stations; and determining at the central computer whether the mobile electronic device users are in compliance with the hand hygiene policy at least partially in dependence on the proximity information. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An automated system for monitoring compliance with a hand hygiene policy at a facility having a wireless local area network (WLAN), the system comprising:
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a compliance computer in communication with the WLAN; a plurality of hand hygiene stations at the facility, each of the hand hygiene stations being associated with a location where a hand hygiene event can be performed and enabled to communicate with the WLAN; and a plurality of mobile electronic devices enabled to communicate with the WLAN, each being associated with a device user and being configured to periodically measure received signal strengths of signals received from the hand hygiene stations and send messages to the compliance computer through the WLAN that includes proximity information representing the measured received signal strengths and identifying the hand hygiene stations from which the signals were received; wherein the compliance computer is configured to determine whether the mobile electronic device users are in compliance with the hand hygiene policy at least partially in dependence on the proximity information. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification