Monitoring cleaning of surfaces

• US 7,718,395 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2006
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kleancheck Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Kleancheck Systems LLC
• Inventors: Carling, Philip C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weber; Jon P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Srivastava; Kailash C
• Application Number:
  US11/335,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20060223731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: 435/8, 435/31, 435/36, 435/40.5, 435/252.4, 435/882, 435/883, 435/885, 134/42, 510/56
• US Class Current: 435/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/702 Devices for testing the cleaning process, e.g. test soils
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/18 Liquid substances or solutions comprising solids or dissolved gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/28 Devices for testing the effectiveness or completeness of sterilisation, e.g. indicators which change colour apparatus involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M1/34; methods involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/14 Means for controlling sterilisation processes, data processing, presentation and storage means, e.g. sensors, controllers, programs
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 13/00 Accessories or details of general applicability for machines or apparatus for cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/00 Cleaning by methods involving the use or presence of liquid or steam B08B9/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 2111/40 Specific cleaning or washing processes
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/40 Dyes ; Pigments
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/42 Brightening agents ; Blueing agents
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6447 by visual observation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/061 Sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06393 Score-carding, benchmarking or key performance indicator [KPI] analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/842 Clostridium
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/882 Staphylococcus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/883 Staphylococcus aureus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/967 Standards, controls, materials, e.g. validation studies, buffer systems

Abstract

A method for monitoring cleaning of a surface includes applying an amount of transparent indicator material to an area of a surface and measuring the amount of transparent indicator material remaining on the surface. The transparent indicator material may be fixed on the surface by drying and, when a fluorescent material, may be measured through exposure to ultraviolet radiation.

Claims

1. A method for determining if a surface has been cleaned, the method comprising:

applying an amount of transparent indicator material to one or more discrete target sites on one or more environmental surfaces, the amount of transparent indicator material being applied to the one or more discrete target sites on the one or more environmental surfaces with a non-contact applicator; and

determining if any of the transparent indicator material remains on the one or more discrete target sites on the one or more environmental surfaces after one or more opportunities to clean the environmental surface by environmental services staff, thereby providing a cleanliness result.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the locations of the one or more discrete target sites are unknown to environmental services staff.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein applying the transparent indicator material includes allowing at least a portion of the applied transparent indicator material to dry.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein applying the transparent indicator material includes allowing the applied transparent indicator material to solidify.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transparent indicator material is fluorescent upon exposure to UV radiation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transparent indicator material includes

a carrier;

a transparent indicator soluble in the carrier;

a transparent source of adherence to the surface soluble in the carrier; and

a surfactant.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transparent indicator material is fluorescent under ultraviolet radiation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more environmental surfaces are located within an environment that includes at least one of a hospital room, a hotel room, a cruise ship cabin, a pharmaceutical laboratory, and a restroom.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

categorizing the one or more environmental surfaces as cleaned or not cleaned based at least in part upon whether the transparent indicator material remains on the one or more discrete target sites on the one or more environmental surfaces after one or more opportunities to clean the one or more environmental surfaces by environmental services staff.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transparent indicator material is transparent under visible light.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the transparent indicator material is transparent during application and after solidification.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein the transparent indicator material resists dry abrasion.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the transparent indicator material, once applied, may only be removed using at least one of water and cleaning supplies.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the transparent indicator material has a viscosity sufficient to allow the transparent indicator material to be applied to non-horizontal surfaces.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein the transparent indicator material is colorless.

16. The method according to claim 2, further including suspending the opportunity to clean the one or more environmental surfaces.

17. The method according to claim 4, wherein suspending the opportunity to clean occurs during a period of time following the one or more opportunities to clean the environmental surface and prior to determining if any of the transparent indicator material remains on the one or more discrete target sites.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the period of time is a day or less.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the period of time is between a day and a week.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the period of time is between a week and a month.

21. The method of claim 5, wherein determining if any transparent indicator material remains on the one or more discrete target sites includes exposing the one or more target sites to ultraviolet radiation.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein a source of the ultraviolet radiation is a handheld device.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the handheld device is a black light.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the black light is directional.

25. The method of claim 6, wherein the transparent source of adherence to the surface is a natural glue.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the natural glue is methyl cellulose.

33. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

training environmental services staff on cleanliness issues.

35. The method according to claim 33, further comprising:

repeating the applying and determining steps after training environmental services personnel, thereby providing a post-training cleanliness result.

36. The method according to claim 33, wherein training environmental services staff includes providing environmental services staff with information regarding at least one selected from the group consisting of improved cleaning techniques, the cleanliness result, a baseline cleanliness result, locations of areas to be cleaned, and information relating to the transmission of pathogens.

27. A method for enhancing the cleaning of environmental surfaces within an environment, the method comprising:

applying a amount of transparent indicator material to one or more discrete target sites on one or more environmental surfaces, the amount of transparent indicator material being applied to the one or more discrete target sites on the one or more environmental surface with a non-contact applicator, the one or more discrete target sites being unknown to environmental services staff;

determining if any of the transparent indicator material remains on the one or more discrete target sites on the one or more environmental surfaces after one or more opportunities to clean the environmental surface by environmental services staff by exposing the one or more discrete target sites to ultraviolet radiation, the transparent indicator material fluorescing under the ultraviolet radiation if the transparent indicator material remains on the one or more discrete target sites;

categorizing the one or more environmental surfaces as cleaned or not cleaned based at least in part upon whether the transparent indicator material remains on the one or more discrete target sites on the one or more environmental surfaces after one or more opportunities to clean the one or more environmental surfaces by environmental services staff, thereby providing a cleanliness result for each of the one or more environmental surfaces;

training environmental services staff on cleanliness issues, wherein training includes providing environmental services staff with information regarding at least one selected from the group consisting of improved cleaning techniques, the cleanliness result, a baseline cleanliness result, locations of areas to be cleaned, and information relating to the transmission of pathogens; and

repeating the applying, determining, and categorizing steps after training environmental services staff, thereby providing a post-training cleanliness result and on-going monitoring of the cleanliness.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein a source of the ultraviolet radiation is a directional black light.

29. A method according to claim 27, wherein the transparent indicator material resists dry abrasion.

30. A method according to claim 27, wherein the transparent indicator material, once applied, may only be removed using at least one of water and cleaning supplies.

31. A method according to claim 27, wherein the transparent indicator material has sufficient viscosity to allow the transparent indicator material to be applied to non-horizontal surfaces.

32. A method for enhancing the cleaning of a surface, the method comprising:

applying an amount of transparent indicator material to one or more discrete target sites on one or more environmental surfaces, the amount of transparent indicator material being applied to the one or more discrete target sites on the one or more environmental surfaces with a non-contact applicator;

determining if any of the transparent indicator material remains on the one or more discrete target sites on the one or more environmental surfaces after one or more opportunities to clean the environmental surface by environmental services staff, thereby providing a cleanliness result; and

comparing the cleanliness result with a baseline cleanliness result.

34. The method according to claim 32, further including providing the environmental services staff with the cleanliness result.