PORTABLE DEVICE FOR IMPROVING HYGIENE AND METHOD

• US 20160093194A1
• Filed: 04/04/2014
• Published: 03/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GWA Hygiene GmbH
• Original Assignee: United Ventures GmbH
• Inventors: Herzog, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 9,652,969 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

The present invention describer, A portable device for improving hygiene, comprising at least one warning unit that cooperates with a unit for detection of a disinfection treatment in such a way that a signal can be activated, said warning unit being operatively connected to at least one step counting unit; and, a method and a system for improving hygiene in medical facilities, including the use of a portable device.

Claims

1. Portable device for improving hygiene, comprising at least one warning unit that cooperates with a unit for detection of a disinfection treatment in such a way that a signal can be activated, wherein said warning unit is operatively connected to at least one step counting unit.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the step counter comprises an acceleration sensor enabling the identification of a movement pattern using appropriate software corresponding to a specified number of successive steps and/or a number of steps with a relatively uniform time between them.

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit for disinfection treatments includes at least one gas sensor.

4. Device according to one claim 1, wherein the warning unit includes a control display for indicating a disinfection state.

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein the warning unit includes a unit for generating a vibrating alarm.

6. Device according to claim 1, wherein the portable device contains one or more IR sensors operatively connected to the warning unit.

7. Device according to claim 1, wherein the portable device includes one or more data stores that can store time data, hand hygiene actions, and/or detected hand hygiene indications.

8. Method for improving hygiene in facilities having high hygienic standards, including use of a portable device according to claim 1 .

9. Method according to claim 8, in which the warning unit activates a signal after a specified number of successive steps.

10. Method according to claim 8, in which the warning unit triggers a signal after completing an uninterrupted sequence of uniformly timed steps in which a specified threshold for the number of steps was exceeded.

11. Method according to claim 10, in which another vibrating alarm is emitted after a waiting period if no disinfection treatment is performed and/or no further steps are detected within that waiting period.

12. Method according to claim 9, in which the duration of the disinfection treatment is measured.

13. System for improving hygiene in medical facilities, which includes one or more dispensers designed for releasing a disinfectant to a user, and one or more portable devices according to claim 1.

14. System according to claim 13, in which the data collected by the portable devices can be centrally captured and statistically evaluated.

16. Device according to claim 3, wherein the gas sensor detects alcohol.

17. Device according to claim 16, wherein the gas sensor detects ethanol and/or propanol.

18. Device according to claim 7, wherein the data store is connected to the warning unit and/or the detection unit for disinfection treatments.

19. Method for improving hygiene according to claim 8, wherein the facilities having high hygienic standards are selected from the group consisting of medical facilities, pharmaceutical companies, food processing plants.

20. Method according to claim 9, in which the signal triggers a switch of a control display to a display of the disinfection state and/or a vibrating alarm.

21. Method according to claim 10, in which the signal is a vibrating alarm.

15. (canceled)