Sanitary monitoring system to monitor the hand sanitation of health care workers or other required sanitary activities

• US 7,551,092 B1
• Filed: 11/15/2006
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kevin M Henry
• Original Assignee: Kevin M Henry
• Inventors: Henry, Kevin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout; Brent
• Application Number:
  US11/599,707
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/573.1, 34053912-53913, 340/286.07, 700/302, 134/18, 222/1, 222/23
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands

Abstract

A monitoring system for health care workers or other workers where sanitary hand-washing is required, to detect the sanitary cleaning of hands upon entry and exit of a required or designated clean area includes a plurality of individual RFID devices located within the uniforms or employee ID badges assigned to each employee, a central monitoring network comprising a plurality of proximity sensors located at each room entry, the soap dispenser and the sink, the patient or object where sanitary handling is required, and a CPU. Each individual RFID device, when within the set range of each proximity sensor, sends a signal to the central monitoring device corresponding to the assigned employee, which in turn, relays the signal to the CPU in real time, for a time relative log of the employees activity to monitor whether the employee has washed their hands as required by law or policy.

Claims

1. A sanitary and sterile monitoring system to determine if each of a plurality of employees has conducted required hand-washing procedures upon entry and prior to exiting a room where hand washing is required, the monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of unique and individually assigned RFID transmits worn upon each of a plurality of respective employees,

a first RFID proximity sensor located at a door of each at least one room transmitting a first RFID signal when activated by the presence of said assigned RFID transmitter;

a second RFID proximity sensor located at a hand-washing station within each at least one room transmitting a second RFID signal when activated by the presence of said assigned RFID transmitter;

a third RFID proximity sensor located at an at least one clean target within said at least one room transmitting a third RFID signal when activated by the presence of said assigned RFID transmitter; and

a central monitoring station having an appropriate computer software monitoring program installed to monitor activity within said at least one room, said central monitoring station receiving said first, second and third RFID signals transmitted by said respective first, second and third RFID proximity sensors to track movement and hand-washing activity of each said employee wearing said assigned RFID transmitter in each at least one room, wherein each of said

plurality of unique and individually assigned RFID transmitters, upon obtaining a presence within each at least one room and each within proximity of each said first, second and third RFID proximity sensor sends a corresponding first, second or third RFID signal to said central monitoring station to record hand-washing of each of said plurality of employees within each at least one room within which hand-washing is required;

each said RFID transmitter on each said employee activating said first RFID proximity sensor installed at said door of said at least one room upon entry into said at least one room sending said first RFID signal to said central monitoring station;

each said RFID transmitter on each said employee activating said second RFID proximity sensor at said hand-washing station sending said second RFID signal to said central monitoring station subsequent to activation of said first RFID proximity sensor and prior to activation of said third RFID proximity sensor near said clean target, wherein no alert is noted on said central monitoring system, confirming that each said employee has conducted hand-washing prior to contact with said clean target;

further said RFID transmitter on each said employee activating said third RFID proximity sensor near said clean target prior to activation of said second RFID proximity sensor and subsequent to activation of said first RFID proximity sensor upon entry into said at least one room, wherein an alert is noted on said central monitoring system indicating contact with said clean target by said employee prior to conducting hand-washing;

further, wherein each said employee is required to conduct hand-washing prior to exiting said at least one room, said RFID transmitter on each said employee activating said first RFID proximity sensor upon exiting said at least one room subsequent to activation of said third RFID proximity sensor and prior to activation of said second RFID proximity sensor, an alert signal is noted on said central monitoring station indicating each said employee has left said at least one room without conducting hand-washing at said hand-washing station; and

further, wherein each said employee is required to conduct hand-washing prior to exiting said at least one room, said RFID transmitter on each said employee activating said second RFID proximity sensor subsequent to activation of said third RFID proximity sensor but prior to activation of said first RFID proximity sensor, no alert is noted at said central monitoring station indicating each said employee has left said at least one room after conducting hand-washing at said hand-washing station.