Sanitization Compliance Monitoring System

• US 20130285814A1
• Filed: 06/25/2013
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: UltraClenz LLC (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Inventors: Snodgrass, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,674,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands

Abstract

A sanitization compliance monitoring system comprises care giver badges, patient bed beacons associated with patient beds, dispenser beacons associated with sanitization dispensers, and a central unit for wirelessly communicating with the badges.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A sanitization compliance monitoring system for a health care environment having patient beds, comprising:

badges wearable by persons, said badges having indicia representing a first-state indicating a sanitary compliant condition of the person, and a second-state representing an unsanitary state indicating the person'"'"'s contact with a second patient after contact with, and different from, a first patient, said badges also having a wireless transmitter/receiver for communicating an identification signal unique to a single badge, and the current state of the badge;

patient bed beacons, each associated with a different respective patient bed, each bed beacon capable of wirelessly communicating with said badges;

dispenser beacons, each associated with a sanitization dispenser, and having a transmitter/receiver capable of wirelessly communicating with said badges; and

wherein a dispenser beacon causes a badge to change from the second-state to the first-state when the person has performed a sanitization procedure at a sanitization dispenser, and

wherein a badge in a first-state changes to said second-state when located in a certain proximity to a second patient bed beacon different from a first patient bed beacon at which the user was previously located without having performed a sanitization procedure at a dispenser during movement between the respective beds associated with the first and second patient beds, and transmits a status signal indicating such badge state change to the patient bed beacon with the badge identification signal.

22. A sanitization compliance monitoring system for a health care environment having patient beds, comprising:

badges wearable by persons, said badges having indicia representing a first-state indicating a sanitary compliant condition of the person, a second-state representing a cautionary state indicating the person'"'"'s contact with a first patient, and a third-state representing an unsanitary state indicating the person'"'"'s contact with a second patient after contact with, and different from, a first patient, said badges also having a wireless transmitter/receiver for communicating an identification signal unique to a single badge, and the current state of the badge;

patient bed beacons, each associated with a different respective patient bed, each bed beacon capable of wirelessly communicating with said badges;

dispenser beacons, each associated with a sanitization dispenser, and having a transmitter/receiver capable of wirelessly communicating with said badges; and

wherein a badge in said first-state changes to said second-state when located in a certain proximity to a patient bed beacon, and transmits a status change signal indicating such first-to-second-state change to the patient bed beacon with the badge identification signal,

wherein a badge in said second-state changes to said third-state when located in a certain proximity to a patient bed beacon different from the patient bed beacon which caused the badge to change from the first-state to the second-state, and transmits a status signal indicating such second-to-third-state change to the patient bed beacon with the badge identification signal, and

wherein a dispenser beacon causes a badge to change from the second-state or third-state to the first-state when the person has performed a sanitization procedure at a sanitization dispenser beacon.

23. A method for monitoring sanitization compliance for a health care environment having patient beds, comprising:

providing badges wearable by persons, said badges having indicia representing a first-state indicating a sanitary compliant condition of the person, a second-state representing a cautionary state indicating the person'"'"'s contact with a first patient, and a third-state representing an unsanitary state indicating the person'"'"'s contact with a second patient after contact with, and different from, a first patient, said badges also having a wireless transmitter/receiver for communicating an identification signal unique to a single badge, and the current state of the badge;

providing patient bed beacons, each associated with a different respective patient bed, each bed beacon capable of wirelessly communicating with said badges;

providing dispenser beacons, each associated with a sanitization dispenser, and having a transmitter/receiver capable of wirelessly communicating with said badges;

changing the state of a badge from said first-state changes to said second-state when located in a certain proximity to a patient bed beacon, and transmitting a status change signal indicating such first-to-second-state change to the patient bed beacon with the badge identification signal;

changing the state of a badge from said second-state changes to said third-state when located in a certain proximity to a patient bed beacon different from the patient bed beacon which caused the badge to change from the first-state to the second-state, and transmitting a status signal indicating such second-to-third-state change to the patient bed beacon with the badge identification signal; and

changing the status of a badge from the second-state or third-state to the first-state when the person has performed a sanitization procedure at a sanitization dispenser beacon.

24. A sanitization compliance monitoring system for a health care environment having patient beds, comprising:

badges wearable by persons, said badges having indicia representing a first-state indicating a sanitary compliant condition of the person, and a second-state representing an unsanitary state indicating the person'"'"'s contact with a second patient after contact with, and different from, a first patient, said badges also having a wireless transmitter/receiver for communicating an identification signal unique to a single badge, and the current state of the badge;

patient bed beacons, each associated with a different respective patient bed, each bed beacon capable of wirelessly communicating with said badges;

dispenser beacons, each associated with a sanitization dispenser, and having a transmitter/receiver capable of wirelessly communicating with said badges; and

wherein a dispenser beacon causes a badge to change from the second-state to the first-state when the person has performed a sanitization procedure at a sanitization dispenser, and

wherein a badge in a first-state changes to said second-state when located in a certain proximity to a second patient bed beacon different from a first patient bed beacon at which the user was previously located without having performed a sanitization procedure at a dispenser during movement between the respective beds associated with the first and second patient beds, and transmits a status signal indicating such badge state change to the patient bed beacon with the badge identification signal.

25. A sanitization compliance monitoring system for a health care environment having patient beds, comprising:

badges wearable by persons, said badges having indicia representing a first-state indicating whether a person is equipped with a required risk-control item, and a second-state indicating the absence of the required risk-control item by the person;

bed beacons associated with a patient, which enable selective activation of at least one risk-control item that is required to be work by a person coming within a certain proximity of the patient, said bed beacon also having a sensor which detects whether a person coming within the certain proximity zone is equipped with the required risk-control item, and transmits a signal to the person'"'"'s badge to change the badge from the first-state to the second-state if the required risk-control item is not sensed.

26. A sanitization compliance monitoring system for a health care environment having patient beds, comprising:

badges wearable by persons, said badges having indicia representing a first-state indicating a sanitary compliant condition of the badge-wearer, and a second-state representing an unsanitary state indicating the badge-wearer'"'"'s contact with a second patient after contact with, and different from, a first patient, said badges also having a wireless transmitter/receiver for communicating an identification signal unique to a single badge, and the current state of the badge;

patient bed beacons, each associated with a different respective patient bed, each bed beacon capable of wirelessly communicating with said badges;

dispenser beacons, each associated with a sanitization dispenser, and having a transmitter/receiver capable of wirelessly communicating with said badges; and

wherein a dispenser beacon causes a badge to change from the second-state to the first-state when the badge-wearer has performed a sanitization procedure at a sanitization dispenser,

wherein a badge in said first state changes to the second state after a certain time period has elapsed without the badge-wearer performing a sanitization procedure, and

wherein a badge in a first-state changes to said second-state when located in a certain proximity to a second patient bed beacon different from a first patient bed beacon at which the user was previously located without having performed a sanitization procedure at a dispenser during movement between the respective beds associated with the first and second patient beds, and transmits a status signal indicating such badge state change to the patient bed beacon with the badge identification signal.

27. A sanitization compliance monitoring system for a health care environment having patient beds, comprising:

badges wearable by persons, said badges having indicia representing a first-state indicating a sanitary compliant condition of the person, a second-state representing a cautionary state indicating the person'"'"'s contact with a first patient, and a third-state representing an unsanitary state indicating the person'"'"'s contact with a second patient after contact with, and different from, a first patient, said badges also having a wireless transmitter/receiver for communicating an identification signal unique to a single badge, and the current state of the badge;

patient bed beacons, each associated with a different respective patient bed, each bed beacon capable of wirelessly communicating with said badges;

dispenser beacons, each associated with a sanitization dispenser, and having a transmitter/receiver capable of wirelessly communicating with said badges; and

wherein a badge in said first-state changes to said second-state when located in a certain proximity to a patient bed beacon, and transmits a status change signal indicating such first-to-second-state change to the patient bed beacon with the badge identification signal,

wherein a badge in said second-state changes to said third-state when located in a certain proximity to a patient bed beacon different from the patient bed beacon which caused the badge to change from the first-state to the second-state, and transmits a status signal indicating such second-to-third-state change to the patient bed beacon with the badge identification signal,

wherein a dispenser beacon causes a badge to change from the second-state or third-state to the first-state when the person has performed a sanitization procedure at a sanitization dispenser beacon, and

wherein a badge in the first-state changes to the third-state if the badge leaves the certain proximity to a patient bed and remains out of that proximity for a certain time period and re-enters that certain proximity after the certain time period.

28. A sanitization compliance monitoring system for a health care environment having patient beds, comprising:

badges wearable by persons, said badges having indicia representing a first-state indicating a sanitary compliant condition of the badge-wearer, a second-state representing a cautionary state indicating the badge-wearer'"'"'s contact with a first patient, and a third-state representing an unsanitary state indicating the badge-wearer'"'"'s contact with a second patient after contact with, and different from, a first patient, said badges also having a wireless transmitter/receiver for communicating an identification signal unique to a single badge, and the current state of the badge;

patient bed beacons, each associated with a different respective patient bed, each bed beacon capable of wirelessly communicating with said badges;

dispenser beacons, each associated with a sanitization dispenser, and having a transmitter/receiver capable of wirelessly communicating with said badges; and

wherein a badge in said first-state changes to said second-state when located in a certain proximity to a patient bed beacon, and transmits a status change signal indicating such first-to-second-state change to the patient bed beacon with the badge identification signal,

wherein a badge in said second-state changes to said third-state when located in a certain proximity to a patient bed beacon different from the patient bed beacon which caused the badge to change from the first-state to the second-state, and transmits a status signal indicating such second-to-third-state change to the patient bed beacon with the badge identification signal,

wherein a dispenser beacon causes a badge to change from the second-state or third-state to the first-state when the badge-wearer has performed a sanitization procedure at a sanitization dispenser beacon, and

wherein a badge in the second-state changes to the third-state after a certain time period has elapsed without the badge-wearer performing a sanitization procedure.

29. A sanitization compliance monitoring system for a health care environment having monitored equipment which poses a risk of contamination, comprising:

badges wearable by persons, said badges having indicia representing a first-state indicating a sanitary compliant condition of the person, and a second-state representing an unsanitary state indicating the person'"'"'s contact with a monitored equipment, said badges also having a wireless transmitter/receiver for communicating an identification signal unique to a single badge, and the current state of the badge;

monitored equipment beacons, each associated with a different item of monitored equipment, each bed beacon capable of wirelessly communicating with said badges;

dispenser beacons, each associated with a sanitization dispenser, and having a transmitter/receiver capable of wirelessly communicating with said badges; and

wherein a dispenser beacon causes a badge to change from the second-state to the first-state when the person has performed a sanitization procedure at a sanitization dispenser, and

wherein a badge in a first-state changes to said second-state when located in a certain proximity to an item of monitored equipment and transmits a status signal indicating such badge state change to the monitored equipment beacon with the badge identification signal.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein the monitored equipment is one of a wheelchair, gurney, recliner, intravenous unit, rehabilitation equipment, diagnostic equipment, treatment equipment, toilet, refuse container, urinal, bedpan, laundry area, or medication room.