METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MONITORING HAND WASHING

• US 20150194043A1
• Filed: 12/22/2014
• Published: 07/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infrared Integrated Systems, Ltd. (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Dunn, Anthony, Holliday, Stuart
• Granted Patent: US 9,613,518 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands

Abstract

Using a processor to receive a signal indicative of actuation of a cleansing product dispenser at a hand cleansing station and to receive a signal indicative of the presence of an individual at said cleansing station following actuation of the cleansing product dispenser. The processor is configured to process said signals to generate hand wash event data indicative of a length of a continuous period of time spent by said individual at said hand cleansing station. Hand wash event data is collated for a plurality of hand wash events at a stand-alone hand cleansing station or a plurality of linked hand cleansing stations in order to provide an indication of hand wash quality for said plurality of hand wash events and/or an indication of a number of compliant hand wash events. A running total of compliant hand wash events may be displayed to users.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring hand washing by individuals, comprising the steps of:

receiving at a processor a signal indicative of actuation of a cleansing product dispenser at a hand cleansing station;

receiving at said processor a signal indicative of the presence of an individual at said cleansing station following actuation of the cleansing product dispenser; and

processing said signals to generate hand wash event data indicative of a length of a continuous period of time spent by said individual at said hand cleansing station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising collating hand wash event data for a plurality of hand wash events and processing said data to provide:

an indication of hand wash quality for said plurality of hand wash events; and

an indication of a number of compliant hand wash events for said plurality of hand wash events, a compliant hand wash event being determined by reference to one or more thresholds.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein hand wash event data is collated for a plurality of hand wash events at a plurality of hand cleansing stations over a predetermined time period comprising any of:

a set time period;

an arbitrary time period inputted to the processor;

or a time period determined from staff presence data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein an increase in hand wash quality indication is determined from any one or any combination of:

an increase in a length of mean hand wash time;

a narrowing of a distribution of hand wash time; and

a narrowing of a distribution of mean hand wash times.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying on a display any one or any combination of:

a running total of all hand wash events;

an indication of hand wash quality;

a running total of compliant hand wash events.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing an audible and/or visual countdown indication to an individual at a hand cleansing station until their hand wash achieves compliant status or an audible and/or visual indication that their hand wash is considered to be a compliant hand wash event.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein data indicative of a continuous period of time spent by an individual at said cleansing station following actuation of the cleansing product dispenser is generated by a detector having a sensor comprising an array of thermal detector elements.

8. A detector for monitoring hand washing by individuals at a hand cleansing station, the detector comprising:

a processor for receiving a signal indicative of actuation of a cleansing product dispenser; and

one or more sensors configured to determine the presence of an individual at said hand cleansing station and to output a signal indicative of the presence of the individual at said hand cleansing station, the

the processor adapted to process said signals to generate hand wash event data indicative of a length of a continuous period of time spent by said individual at said hand cleansing station after actuation of the cleansing product dispenser.

9. The detector of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to collate hand wash event data for a plurality of hand wash events and process said data to provide;

an indication of hand wash quality for said plurality of hand wash events; and

/or

an indication of a number of compliant hand wash events for said plurality of hand wash events, a compliant hand wash event being determined by reference to one or more thresholds.

10. The detector of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to collate hand wash event data for a plurality of hand wash events at a plurality of hand cleansing stations over a predetermined time period comprising any of:

a set time period;

an arbitrary time period inputted to the processor;

or a time period determined from staff presence data.

11. The detector of any one of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to determine an increase in hand wash quality indication from any one or any combination of:

an increase in a length of mean hand wash time;

a narrowing of a distribution of hand wash time; and

a narrowing of a distribution of mean hand wash times.

12. The detector of any one of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to display on a display any one or any combination of:

a running total of all hand wash events;

an indication of hand wash quality;

a running total of compliant hand wash events.

13. The detector of any one of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to provide an audible and/or visual countdown indication to an individual at a hand cleansing station until their hand wash achieves compliant status or an audible and/or visual indication that their hand wash is considered to be a compliant hand wash event.

14. The detector of any one of claim 8, wherein the detector has at least one sensor comprising an array of thermal detector elements.

15. A hand cleansing station for monitoring hand washing by individuals, the hand cleansing station having a detector according to claim 8.

16. A system for monitoring hand washing by individuals, said system comprising:

one or more hand cleansing stations;

a central station comprising a main processor and a memory;

a network communicatively connecting each of said one or more hand cleansing stations to the central station, said central station being adapted to receive data from the one or more hand cleansing stations.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more hand cleansing stations each include a detector for monitoring hand washing by individuals at the one or more hand cleansing stations, each detector comprising:

a processor for receiving a signal indicative of actuation of a cleansing product dispenser; and

one or more sensors configured to determine the presence of an individual at said hand cleansing station and to output a signal indicative of the presence of the individual at said hand cleansing station, the processor adapted to process said signals to generate hand wash event data indicative of a length of a continuous period of time spent by said individual at said hand cleansing station after actuation of the cleansing product dispenser.