Handwash monitoring system

• US 6,426,701 B1
• Filed: 09/20/2000
• Issued: 07/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: UltraClenz Engineering Group (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Inventors: Levy, Allan, Parker, Francis J., OʼMaley, James B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Application Number:
  US09/665,970
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/256.09, 340/539, 340/691, 340/528, 340/632, 137/552.7, 462/3, 702/176, 222/39
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8208 Time

Abstract

A handwash monitoring system and method for providing an alert when a person must wash their hands. A badge worn by a person is activated to register at least one of a visual, audible or tactile alarm by a beacon placed where contamination may occur when the badge enters the range of the beacon. The person must wash their hands according to visual and audible prompts issued by a base unit in a wash area to clear the badge alarm.

Claims

1. A handwash monitoring system comprising:

a badge worn or carried by a person for registering one of a hands-washed state and a hands-unwashed state;

a wash area including a faucet and a soap dispenser for washing hands of the person;

a base unit connected to the faucet and soap dispenser for detecting when the person has correctly performed a predetermined handwash procedure, whereupon said base unit communicates with said badge to register the hands-washed state; and

a plurality of sentinels equipped with one or more of audible means, visual means and remote means for issuing a warning when said badge is within a predetermined proximity to any one of the plurality of sentinels while registering the hands-unwashed state.

2. The handwash monitoring system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said plurality of sentinels detects that said badge registers the hands-unwashed state through wireless means.

4. The handwash monitoring system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said badge is equipped with one or more of visual means, audible means and tactile means for registering one of the hands-washed state and the hands-unwashed state.

5. The handwash monitoring system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said base unit is equipped with one or more of visual means and audible means for prompting the person to perform the predetermined handwash procedure.

6. The handwash monitoring system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising means for preventing reactivation of the predetermined handwash procedure for a predetermined period of time upon the base unit detecting the person has correctly performed the predetermined handwash procedure.

7. The handwash monitoring system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said base unit stores performance data of the person regarding the predetermined handwash procedure along with the identification data transmitted by said badge to said base unit for later retrieval or for immediate or delayed transmission to a remote memory unit.

8. The handwash monitoring system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said base unit communicates with said badge using wireless means.

9. The handwash monitoring system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said badge comprises a timer that triggers said badge to register the unwashed hands state after a predetermined period of time elapses.

10. The handwash monitoring system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the faucet and soap dispenser in said wash area are activated by one of hand proximity sensors and non-contaminating means.

11. The handwash monitoring system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising

a plurality of beacons placed at locations where it is desired to communicate with said badge to register the hands-unwashed state when said badge is within a predetermined proximity to any one of said plurality of beacons.

12. The handwash monitoring system as set forth in claim 11, further comprising

means for preventing said badge from registering the hands-unwashed state for a predetermined period of time upon said base unit detecting the person has correctly performed the predetermined handwash procedure to allow the person to exit said wash area and pass one or more of said plurality of beacons without registering the hands-unwashed state.

13. The handwash monitoring system as set forth in claim 11, wherein

said plurality of beacons communicate with said badge using wireless means.

14. The handwash monitoring system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising

a plurality of beacon-sentinels for communicating with said badge when said badge is within a predetermined proximity to any one of said beacon-sentinels to register the hands-unwashed state in said badge and to issue a warning using one or more of audible means, visual means and remote means.

15. The handwash monitoring system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said wash area further includes an inspection device connected to said base unit for measuring an amount of soap applied on the hands of the person and/or the removal of soap from the hands of the person after rinsing.

3. A handwash monitoring system comprising:

a badge worn or carried by a person for registering one of a hands-washed state and a hands-unwashed state;

a wash area including a faucet and a soap dispenser for washing hands of the person; and

a base unit connected to the faucet and soap dispenser for detecting when the person has correctly performed a predetermined handwash procedure, whereupon said base unit communicates with said badge to register the hands-washed state,

wherein said badge comprises an identification badge with a memory containing identification data that is transmitted to said base unit upon request by said base unit to begin the predetermined handwash procedure when said badge is within a predetermined proximity to said base unit, and

said base unit comprises means for selecting a language for the predetermined handwash procedure based upon the identification data.

16. A handwash monitoring method comprising the steps of:

registering a hands-unwashed state on a badge worn by a person;

identifying the person using a base unit located in a wash area that prompts the badge to transmit identification data stored in the badge to the base unit to begin a predetermined handwash procedure when the badge is within a predetermined proximity to the base unit;

selecting a language for the predetermined handwash procedure using the base unit based on the identification data;

instructing the person to perform the predetermined handwash procedure using the base unit;

detecting whether the person has properly performed the predetermined handwash procedure using the base unit; and

clearing by the base unit the hands-unwashed state on the badge when the person has properly performed the predetermined handwash procedure.

17. The handwash monitoring method according to claim 16, wherein

said registering step includes the step of activating one or more of a visual alarm, audible alarm and tactile alarm on the badge.

18. The handwash monitoring method according to claim 16, wherein

said instructing step further includes the step of one or more of visually and audibly prompting the person to perform the predetermined handwash procedure by the base unit.

19. The handwash monitoring method according to claim 16, further comprising

preventing reactivation of the predetermined handwash procedure for a predetermined period of time upon the base unit detecting the person has correctly performed the predetermined handwash procedure.

20. The handwash monitoring method according to claim 16, wherein said handwash monitoring method further comprises

storing performance data of the person regarding the predetermined handwash procedure along with the identification data transmitted by the badge to the base unit for one of later retrieval, immediate transmission and delayed transmission to a remote memory unit.

21. The handwash monitoring method according to claim 16, wherein

said registering step occurs when a predetermined period of time elapses.

22. The handwash monitoring method according to claim 16, wherein

said registering step occurs when the badge is within a predetermined proximity to any one of a plurality of beacons placed at locations where it is desired that the badge register the hands-unwashed state.

23. The handwash monitoring method according to claim 22, further comprising

disabling the badge from registering a hands-unwashed state for a predetermined period of time by the base unit upon detecting the person has correctly performed the predetermined handwash procedure to allow the person to exit the wash area and pass one or more of the plurality of beacons without registering the hands-unwashed state.

24. The handwash monitoring method according to claim 16, further comprising

issuing one or more of a visual alarm, audible alarm and remote alarm by each of a plurality of beacon-sentinels when the badge registers the hands-unwashed state within a predetermined proximity to any one of the beacon-sentinels;

and wherein

said registering step occurs when the badge is within a predetermined proximity to any one of the plurality of beacon-sentinels.

25. A handwash monitoring method comprising the steps of:

registering a hands-unwashed state on a badge worn by a person;

instructing the person to perform a predetermined handwash procedure using a base unit located in a wash area;

detecting whether the person has properly performed the predetermined handwash procedure using the base unit;

clearing by the base unit the hands-unwashed state on the badge when the person has properly performed the predetermined handwash procedure; and

issuing one or more of a visual alarm, audible alarm and remote alarm by each of a plurality of sentinels when the badge registers the hands-unwashed state within a predetermined proximity to any one of the plurality of sentinels.