Composition for sanitizing hands and a method for verifying and monitoring hand washing and sanitizing practices

• US 7,495,569 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2006
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eugene P. Pittz
• Original Assignee: Eugene P. Pittz
• Inventors: Pittz, Eugene P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Phung
• Application Number:
  US11/539,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20080084315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/572.1, 340/540, 514/642, 600/306
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands

Abstract

A method for measuring skin surface pH on sites on the hands and/or lower arm is devised for verifying and monitoring of proper hand washing and sanitizing practices. Hand sanitizer compositions are devised that allow for verifying and monitoring of proper hand sanitizing practices.

Claims

1. A method for verifying and monitoring hand washing and sanitizing practices comprising the steps of:

measuring skin surface pH of at least one of a hand and a lower arm of a user, wherein measuring skin surface pH of said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user comprising the steps of;

placing a pH measuring device on at least one skin surface of said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user;

holding said pH measuring device in contact with said at least one skin surface until said pH measuring device reaches a steady state; and

reading at least one measurement of at least one skin surface pH from said pH measuring device; and

comparing said skin surface pH of said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user with a predetermined skin surface pH range, wherein a measured skin surface pH below the predetermined pH number on said skin surface pH range indicates that said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user being improperly washed and wherein a measured skin surface pH above the predetermined pH number on said skin surface pH range indicates that said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user being properly washed;

reading a first measurement of a first skin surface pH from said pH measuring device;

reading a second measurement of a second skin surface pH from said pH measuring device;

calculating a skin surface pH ratio of said first measurement of said first skin surface pH to said second measurement of said second skin surface pH; and

comparing said skin surface pH ratio of said first measurement of said first skin surface pH to said second measurement of said second skin surface pH with a predetermined skin surface pH ratio range, wherein a measured skin surface pH ratio below the predetermined skin surface pH ratio on said skin surface pH ratio range indicates that said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user being improperly washed, and wherein measured skin surface pH ratio above the predetermined skin surface pH ratio on said skin surface pH ratio range indicates that said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user being properly washed.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

providing a hand cleanser;

wetting said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user with water;

applying said hand cleanser to said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user;

scrubbing said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user with said hand cleanser for the predetermined period of time; and

rinsing off said hand cleanser from said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user with water.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said predetermined period of time being at least twenty seconds.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said hand cleanser being one of a soap, a surfactant, and a hand washing foam.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said hand cleanser being alkaline.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein said hand cleanser having a pH between 2 and 12.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

providing a hand sanitizer;

applying said hand sanitizer to said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user; and

rubbing said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user with said hand sanitizer.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said hand sanitizer comprising

a ratio of:

at least one alkalizing agent having a total concentration of between approximately 0.05% and approximately 2% w/w;

at least one alcohol having a total concentration of between approximately 40% and approximately 80% w/w; and

water between approximately 8% and approximately 60% w/w.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said hand sanitizer being alkaline and raising a pH of said hand sanitizer to at least 10.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said pH measuring device being a pH meter.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of wetting said at least one skin surface of said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user with distilled water before placing electrodes of said pH meter on said at least one skin surface of said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said pH measuring device being pH paper.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one skin surface of said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user being on one of a center back portion of said hand, a center front portion of said hand, a front upper section of an index finger of said hand, a back upper section of said index finger of said hand, a center front wrist junction of said hand, and a center back wrist junction of said hand.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said first skin surface pH being measured from a center back wrist junction of said hand and wherein said second skin surface pH being measured from a center front wrist junction of said hand.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein measuring skin surface pH of said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user occurs immediately after cleaning said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of a user with said hand cleanser.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein measuring skin surface pH of said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user occurs after at least one set time interval after cleaning said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user with said hand cleanser.

17. A method for verifying and monitoring hand washing and sanitizing practices comprising the steps of:

placing a pH measuring device on at least one skin surface of at least one of a hand and a lower arm of a user;

holding said pH measuring device in contact with said at least one skin surface for between approximately ten and approximately thirty seconds until said pH measuring device reaches a steady state;

reading at least one measurement of at least one skin surface pH from said pH measuring device;

comparing said skin surface pH of said at least one of a hand and a lower arm with the predetermined skin surface pH range, wherein a measured skin surface pH below the predetermined pH number on said skin surface pH range indicates that said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user being improperly washed and wherein a measured skin surface pH below the predetermined pH number on said skin surface pH range indicates that said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user being properly washed;

reading a first measurement of a first skin surface pH from said pH measuring device;

reading a second measurement of a second skin surface pH from said pH measuring device;

calculating a skin surface pH ratio of said first measurement of said first skin surface pH to said second measurement of said second skin surface pH; and

comparing said skin surface pH ratio of said first measurement of said first skin surface pH to said second measurement of said second skin surface pH with a predetermined skin surface pH ratio range, wherein a measured skin surface pH ratio below the predetermined skin surface pH ratio on said skin surface pH ratio range indicates that said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user being improperly washed, and wherein a measured skin surface pH ratio above the predetermined skin surface pH ratio on said skin surface pH ratio range indicates that said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user being properly washed.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the steps of:

providing an alkaline hand cleanser;

wetting said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user with water;

applying said alkaline hand cleanser to said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said;

scrubbing said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user with said alkaline hand cleanser for at least twenty seconds;

rinsing off said alkaline hand cleanser from said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user with water; and

drying said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the steps of:

providing an alkaline hand sanitizer;

applying said hand sanitizer to said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user; and

rubbing said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user with said hand sanitizer in order to maintain said skin surface pH of at least 7.5 for at least thirty minutes.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein said alkaline hand cleanser being one of a soap, a surfactant, and a hand washing foam.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein said pH measuring device being a pH meter and wherein said method further comprising the step of wetting said at least one skin surface of said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user with distilled water before placing electrodes of said pH meter on said at least one skin surface of said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user.

22. A system for verifying and monitoring hand washing and sanitizing practices comprising:

a pH measuring device for measuring skin surface pH of at least one of a hand and a lower arm of a user;

the predetermined skin surface pH range to which said skin surface pH of said at least one of a hand and a lower arm is compared, wherein a measured skin surface pH below the predetermined pH number on said skin surface pH range indicates that said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user being improperly washed and wherein a measured skin surface pH above the predetermined pH number on said skin surface pH range indicates that said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user being properly washed; and

the predetermined skin surface pH ratio range, wherein a measured skin surface pH ratio below the predetermined skin surface pH ratio on said skin surface pH ratio range indicates that said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user being improperly washed, and wherein a measured skin surface pH ratio above the predetermined skin surface pH ratio on said skin surface pH ratio range indicates that said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user being properly washed.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein a skin surface pH ratio of said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user being calculated with a first skin surface pH measured from a center back wrist junction of said hand of said user and with a second skin surface pH measured from a center front wrist junction of said hand of said user.

24. The system of claim 22 further comprising a hand cleanser.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said at least one hand cleanser being one of a soap, a surfactant, and a hand washing foam.

26. The system of claim 22 further comprising a hand sanitizer.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein said hand sanitizer having a pH of at least 10 and wherein said hand sanitizer comprising a ratio of:

at least one alkalizing agent having a total concentration of between approximately 0.05% and approximately 2% w/w;

at least one alcohol having a total concentration of between approximately 40% and approximately 80% w/w; and

water between approximately 8% and approximately 60% w/w.

28. The system of claim 22 wherein said pH measuring device being one of pH paper and a pH meter.

29. A method for verifying and monitoring hand washing and sanitizing practices comprising the steps of:

providing a hand sanitizer;

applying said hand sanitizer to at least one of a hand and a lower arm of a user;

rubbing said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user with said hand sanitizer;

measuring skin surface pH of said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of a user;

comparing said skin surface pH of said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user with the predetermined skin surface pH range, wherein a measured skin surface pH below the predetermined pH number on said skin surface pH range indicates that said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user being improperly washed and wherein a measured skin surface pH above the predetermined pH number on said skin surface pH range indicates that said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user being properly washed; and

wherein said hand sanitizer comprising a ratio of;

at least one alkalizing agent having a total concentration of between approximately 0.05% and approximately 2% w/w;

at least one alcohol having a total concentration of between approximately 40% and approximately 80% w/w; and

water between approximately 8% and approximately 60% w/w.

30. A system for verifying and monitoring hand washing and sanitizing practices comprising:

a pH measuring device for measuring skin surface pH of at least one of a hand and a lower arm of a user;

the predetermined skin surface pH range to which said skin surface pH of said at least one of a hand and a lower arm is compared, wherein a measured skin surface pH below the predetermined pH number on said skin surface pH range indicates that said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user being improperly washed and wherein a measured skin surface pH above the predetermined pH number on said skin surface pH range indicates that said at least one of a hand and a lower arm of said user being properly washed; and

a hand sanitizer;

wherein said hand sanitizer having a pH of at least 10 and wherein said hand sanitizer comprising a ratio of;

at least one alkalizing agent having a total concentration of between approximately 0.05% and approximately 2% w/w;

at least one alcohol having a total concentration of between approximately 40% and approximately 80% w/w; and

water between approximately 8% and approximately 60% w/w.