Method and apparatus for cataloging and poling movement in an environment for purposes of tracking and/or containment of infectious diseases

• US 7,817,046 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2005
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cstar Technologies Inc
• Original Assignee: Cstar Technologies Inc
• Inventors: Huang, Yuping, Coveley, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): HOFSASS, JEFFERY A
• Application Number:
  US10/589,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20070222599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,076 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/572.1, 340/572.7, 340/10.1, 3405391-53913
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 15/00 Tags attached to, or associated with, an object, in order to enable detection of the object record carriers for use with machines having a detectable tag or marker G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/10 together with the recording, indicating or registering of other data, e.g. of signs of identity
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2011/02 related to amusement parks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/80 for detecting, monitoring or modelling epidemics or pandemics, e.g. flu
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A system and method for containing and restricting spread of infectious diseases within hospitals, clinics and other medical facilities by cataloguing and delimiting movement of patients, medical staff, employees, visitors, contractors and other personnel attending or on-site. The system also provides for tracking and cataloguing contaminated medical apparatus, medicine trolleys, food trolleys, medical gas stations, laundry baskets and other mobile or movable medical equipment or facility equipment to prevent spread of the infectious disease or viral entities. According to another aspect, the system includes a poling or supervisory network for auditing the presence or absence of patients, medical staff and other personnel; and medical apparatus, movable equipment or other facility equipment.

Claims

1. A system for tracking and auditing the movement of persons in a facility, said system comprising:

a first network having a plurality of passive receivers, each of said passive receivers having an input for receiving an identification signal, each of the persons in the facility having an associated identification signal, and each of said passive receivers including an output for outputting an output signal for each of said identification signals, each passive receiver having a scanning antenna installed around a perimeter of a passageway in the facility, the plurality of scanning antennas being located throughout the facility;

a plurality of transmitters, each of the persons wearing one of said transmitters, and each of said transmitters transmitting the identification signal associated with the person;

a controller having an input port for receiving the output signals, and including a component for generating a temporal record for each of the persons in response to the detection of said identification signal of the person by one or more of said passive receivers;

a second network having a plurality of active transceivers, each of said active transceivers having a poling transmitter for transmitting a periodic poling request to said transmitters, and each of said active transceivers having a poling receiver for receiving identification signals in response to said poling requests; and

said controller further including an interface for receiving said poled identification signals, and having a component for generating an audit record for each of said transmitters in response to said poling request.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said transceiver comprises a Balun antenna, said Balun antenna having input and output port coupled to a network module having a communication interface for transmitting and receiving signals from said associated Balun antenna.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said controller includes a component for reconciling identification signals associated with persons who have left the facility, and the absence of a poled identification signal in response to the poling request.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said controller includes a component for monitoring identification signals associated with persons who randomly leave and enter the facility.

5. A system for tracking and auditing the movement of persons in a facility, said system comprising:

a first network having a plurality of receivers, each of said receivers having an input for receiving an identification signal, each of the persons in the facility having an associated identification signal, and each of said receivers including an output for outputting an output signal for each of said identification signals;

a plurality of transmitters, each of the persons wearing one of said transmitters, and each of said transmitters transmitting the identification signal associated with the person;

said plurality of receivers being located throughout the facility;

a controller having an input port for receiving the output signals, and including a component for generating a temporal record for each of the persons in response to the detection of said identification signal of the person by one or more of said receivers and having a component for reconciling identification signals associated with persons who have left the facility, and the absence of a poled identification signal in response to the poling request;

a second network having a plurality of transceivers, each of said transceivers having a poling transmitter for transmitting a poling request to said transmitters, and each of said transceivers having a poling receiver for receiving identification signals in response to said poling requests; and

said controller further including an interface for receiving said poled identification signals, and having a component for generating an audit record for each of said transmitters in response to said poling request,

wherein the component for reconciling identification signals further includes a component for monitoring persons who have left the facility and remain on call for a possible call to return to the facility.

6. A method for tracking and auditing the movement of persons in a facility, said method comprising the steps of:

assigning an identifier to each person having access to the facility, and providing each of said persons with a transmitter for transmitting the assigned identifier;

passively detecting transmission of the identifiers for said persons at locations in the facility using a first network of scanning antennas installed around perimeters of passageways in the facility so as to track movement of said persons;

establishing a record for each of said persons, each of said records including temporal data indicating time and date for detection of the identifier for said associated person;

storing said records and making said records available for retrieval;

actively poling said transmitters by sending one or more poling requests using a second network of active antennas located throughout the facility;

receiving at the active antennas identification signals from said transmitters in response to said poling request;

generating an audit record for said transmitters based on the identification signal received in response to said poling request.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, further including the step of reconciling missing identification signals with persons who have left the facility.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, further including the step of monitoring identification signals associated with persons who randomly leave and enter the facility.

10. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said transmitters are applied to apparatus in the facility for tracking and auditing movement of said apparatus.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, further including the step of initiating an alarm condition for a person or apparatus which is non-responsive to one or more of said poling requests.

9. A method for tracking and auditing the movement of persons in a facility, said method comprising the steps of:

assigning an identifier to each person having access to the facility, and providing each of said persons with a transmitter for transmitting the assigned identifier;

detecting transmission of the identifiers for said persons at one or more locations in the facility based on movement of said persons;

establishing a record for each of said persons, each of said records including temporal data indicating time and date for detection of the identifier for said associated person;

storing said records and making said records available for retrieval;

poling said transmitters by sending one or more poling requests to one or more of said transmitters;

receiving identification signals from said transmitters in response to said poling request;

generating an audit record for said transmitters based on the identification signal received in response to said poling request; and

monitoring persons who have left the facility and remain on call for a possible call to return to the facility, said monitoring operation utilizing said poled identification signals.