Systems and methods for monitoring health care workers and patients
First Claim
1. A method for promoting hygienic practices comprising:
- providing a monitor capable of transmitting information;
detecting a person in close proximity to or in contact with a patient regardless of whether the person possesses the monitor;
determining through operation of a processing assembly whether the person possesses the monitor and has actuated a sanitizing device; and
generating a caution or warning signal unless the person in close proximity to or in contact with the patient possesses the monitor and has actuated the sanitizing device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for monitoring one or more patients to ensure compliance with required hygienic procedures and/or to ensure only authorized persons are allowed to attend to such patients. One system includes detectors that may be sequentially activated as a person approaches a patient. Activation of the detectors, in sequence, causes a signal to be transmitted by a controller. If the person is wearing a monitor and has complied with the required hygienic procedure, the monitor transmits a responsive signal to the controller that is encoded to indicate such compliance. If the person is either not wearing a monitor or the monitor does not transmit an appropriate responsive signal, the controller can provide a warning signal and cause a violation of protocol to be recorded. The system may include a portable sanitizer that is capable of functioning as a monitor. The systems and methods do not, however, require monitors worn by health care workers or other persons. Sensors may be associated with a hospital bed and/or a patient.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method for promoting hygienic practices comprising:
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providing a monitor capable of transmitting information; detecting a person in close proximity to or in contact with a patient regardless of whether the person possesses the monitor; determining through operation of a processing assembly whether the person possesses the monitor and has actuated a sanitizing device; and generating a caution or warning signal unless the person in close proximity to or in contact with the patient possesses the monitor and has actuated the sanitizing device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for promoting hygienic practices comprising:
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detecting a person who has come into a patient'"'"'s room within a first distance of the patient regardless of whether the person possesses a monitor capable of transmitting information; detecting the person within a second distance of the patient that is closer to the patient than the first distance and in at least close proximity to the patient regardless of whether the person possesses a monitor capable of transmitting information; determining through operation of a processing assembly whether a sanitizing device has been actuated, and generating a first selected message if the person has been detected sequentially coming within the first and second distances of the patient and the sanitizing device has not been actuated. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for promoting hygienic practices, comprising:
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a patient support apparatus; a proximity sensor operatively associated with the patient support apparatus, the proximity sensor being specifically responsive to the presence of a person in close proximity to and/or in contact with the patient support apparatus regardless of whether the person possesses a monitor capable of transmitting information, the proximity sensor being capable of generating an electrical signal upon detecting the presence of the person in close proximity and/or in contact with the patient support apparatus, and an indicator device operatively associated with the proximity sensor. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for monitoring patients, comprising:
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a patient support apparatus; a room containing the patient support apparatus; a first detector for detecting whether a person in the room has come within a first selected distance of the patient support apparatus regardless of whether the person possesses a monitor capable of transmitting information; a second detector for specifically detecting whether the person has come within a second selected distance of the patient support apparatus that is in close proximity to and/or in contact with the patient support apparatus and closer to the patient support apparatus than the first selected distance, the second detector being capable of detecting the person regardless of whether the person possesses a monitor capable of transmitting information; a sanitizing device; a processing assembly for determining whether the person has sequentially actuated the first and second detectors and whether the sanitizing device has been actuated, and an indicator device operatively associated with the processing assembly for generating a first message if the person is detected sequentially by the first detector and then the second detector and the sanitizing device has not been actuated. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A system for monitoring a patient, comprising:
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a proximity sensor securable to the patient or an article in contact with the patient, the proximity sensor being specifically responsive to contact or near contact with the patient or the article by another person regardless of whether the other person possesses a monitor capable of transmitting information, the proximity sensor being capable of generating an electrical signal upon such contact or near contact; an indicator device operatively associated with the proximity sensor. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A system for promoting hygienic practices, comprising:
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a patient support apparatus; a portable monitor capable of storing and transmitting health care worker identification information; a proximity sensor operatively associated with the patient support apparatus, the proximity sensor being specifically responsive to the presence of a person in close proximity to and/or in contact with the patient support apparatus regardless of whether the person possesses the portable monitor, the proximity sensor being capable of generating an electrical signal upon detecting the presence of the person in close proximity and/or in contact with the patient support apparatus, means for determining whether a person in close proximity to or in contact with the patient support apparatus possesses the portable monitor, and an indicator device operatively associated with the proximity sensor.
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32. A system for monitoring patients, comprising:
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a patient support apparatus; a room containing the patient support apparatus; a portable monitor; a first detector for detecting whether a person in the room has come within a first selected distance of the patient support apparatus regardless of whether the person possesses the portable monitor; a second detector for specifically detecting whether the person has come within a second selected distance of the patient support apparatus that is in close proximity to and/or in contact with the patient support apparatus and closer to the patient support apparatus than the first selected distance, the second detector being capable of detecting the person regardless of whether the person possesses the portable monitor; a sanitizing device; a processing assembly for determining whether the person has sequentially actuated the first and second detectors and whether the sanitizing device has been actuated, the portable monitor being capable of transmitting information to the processing assembly, and an indicator device operatively associated with the processing assembly for generating a first message if;
1) the person is detected sequentially by the first detector and then the second detector and
2) the sanitizing device has not been actuated or the person is not wearing the portable monitor, the processing assembly being further capable of causing the indicator device to generate a selected message if the person has been detected by the first and second detectors and is not wearing the portable monitor.
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Specification