Systems for Monitoring Hand Sanitization

• US 20130025714A1
• Filed: 04/07/2011
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clean Hands Safe Hands
• Original Assignee: Clean Hands Safe Hands
• Inventors: Hermann, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 9,123,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/551
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8158 With indicator, register, recorder, alarm or inspection means

Abstract

The present invention provides a hand sanitizer system that includes a proximity detector, a dispensing system and alarm feature, and is operative to provide an indication corresponding to a person in proximity of the system failing to dispense antiseptic or other solution from the dispenser within a predetermined period of time after moving within a predetermined range of the detector.

Claims

1. A hand sanitization system comprising:

a sanitization unit having;

a housing;

a proximity detector mounted to the housing and being operative to determine proximity of a person with respect to the detector;

a dispenser mounted to the housing and being operative to dispense antiseptic solution; and

an alarm mounted to the housing and being operative to provide an indication to the person, the indication corresponding to the person failing to dispense antiseptic solution from the dispenser within a predetermined period of time after moving within a predetermined range of the detector.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the proximity detector is an infrared range finder.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the indication is an audible indication.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the alarm comprises a piezo-electric buzzer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sanitization unit further comprises a low battery indicator.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the sanitization unit further comprises a photo-sensor operative to determine ambient light in a vicinity of the unit.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the indication is an audible indication; and

the sanitization unit is operative to adjust an audio level of the audible indication based, at least in part, on the ambient light level in the vicinity of the unit.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the sanitization unit further comprises a replaceable antiseptic module for providing a reservoir of antiseptic solution for being dispense by the dispenser.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the replaceable antiseptic module has a battery operative to power at least the dispenser of the sanitization unit.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the proximity detector has a Schmitt trigger operative to output a digital signal corresponding to a sensed distance of the person from the sanitization unit.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the proximity detector has a variable potentiometer operative to adjust range sensitivity of the detector.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the sanitization unit further comprises a microprocessor operative to receive an input from the proximity detector and from the dispenser and to provide an output to the alarm based, at least in part, on the inputs received.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer memory storing a database, the database comprising information corresponding to use of the sanitization unit.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the sanitization unit is a first of multiple sanitization units; and

the multiple sanitization units provide information for populating the database.

15. A hand sanitization system comprising:

a proximity detector operative to determine proximity of a person with respect to the detector, the proximity detector having an infrared range finder and a variable potentiometer operative to adjust range sensitivity of the range finder;

a dispenser operative to dispense antiseptic solution and provide an output signal corresponding to dispensing of the antiseptic solution; and

an alarm operative to provide an indication to the person, the indication corresponding to the person failing to dispense antiseptic solution from the dispenser within a predetermined period of time after moving within a predetermined range of the detector.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the proximity detector has a Schmitt trigger operative to output a digital signal corresponding to a sensed distance of the person from the sanitization unit.