Hand sanitizer compliance detection system

• US 8,994,537 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2012
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guard Rfid Solutions Incorporated (Assa Abloy AB)
• Original Assignee: Guard Rfid Solutions Incorporated (Assa Abloy AB)
• Inventors: Pokrajac, Dalibor
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US13/552,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20130187779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.12, 340/286.07, 222/23
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

A hand sanitizer compliance detection system for RFID-tagged employees comprises a hand sanitizer station with a detector enclosure having a sensor and an aperture that narrows a field of view by the sensor to define a hand detection zone.

Claims

1. A hand sanitizer compliance detection system for RFID-tagged employees, comprising a hand sanitizer station with a detector enclosure having a sensor and an aperture that narrows a field of view by the sensor to define a hand detection zone, in which an enclosure for the sensor houses means for sending output of the sensor to a signal generator input by a wired connection, which activates a signal generator which transmits a detector signal by an antenna to a user'"'"'s RFID tag.

2. The hand sanitizer compliance detection system of claim 1, in which the sensor views a narrowed field around a hand sanitizer dispenser through the aperture of the detector enclosure.

3. The hand sanitizer compliance detection system of claim 2, further comprising an RFID tag for a user of the system, in which the sensor detects use of the hand sanitizer dispenser by the user.

4. The hand sanitizer compliance detection system of claim 3, in which the system logs usage of the hand sanitizer dispenser by the user.

5. The hand sanitizer compliance detection system of claim 1, in which a user detection zone is defined by the aperture in combination with the sensor and is located above a sanitizer dispenser.

6. The hand sanitizer compliance detection system of claim 1, in which an enclosure for the sensor houses a dry contact which sends output of the sensor to a signal generator input by a wired connection, which activates a signal generator which transmits a detector signal by an antenna to a user'"'"'s RFID tag.

7. The hand sanitizer compliance detection system of claim 6, in which the RFID tag transmits an RFID signal to an RFID network tag reader which relays user compliance data to a monitoring server.

8. The hand sanitizer compliance detection system of claim 2, in which the hand sanitizer dispenser comprises a sanitizer container, a plunger, and a dispensing nozzle.

9. The hand sanitizer compliance detection system of claim 6, in which the detector enclosure includes a generator enclosure for the signal generator, the generator enclosure having vents.

10. The hand sanitizer compliance detection system of claim 9, further comprising power, network, and error LED indicators.

11. The hand sanitizer compliance detection system of claim 9, in which the generator enclosure has a circular shape and the vents are evenly distributed around internal signal generating electronics.

12. The hand sanitizer compliance detection system of claim 1, in which a user wearing an RFID tag in proximity to the hand sanitizer station and having a hand within the detection zone causes hand sanitizer compliance to be communicated to a server.

13. The hand sanitizer compliance detection system of claim 1, in which the sensor is a narrow field infrared sensor capable of detecting a presence of a user'"'"'s hands within the detection zone.

14. The hand sanitizer compliance detection system of claim 13, in which the sensor only upon detecting the presence of the user'"'"'s hands within the detection zone enables activation of a field which activates an RFID tag worn by user and enables RFID communication of sanitizer usage compliance to a monitoring system.

15. The hand sanitizer compliance detection system of claim 1, in which a focusing lens for the sensor in combination with an appropriate size and shape of the aperture is used to achieve an appropriately narrow detection angle for the sensor.

16. The hand sanitizer compliance detection system of claim 6, in which after a user'"'"'s hand is removed from the detection zone, the dry contact is opened and the signal generator is de-activated automatically.

17. The hand sanitizer compliance detection system of claim 1, in which data from networked RFID tag readers is collected and evaluated at a central server for hygiene compliance and recordkeeping.

18. The hand sanitizer compliance detection system of claim 4, in which:

a) a user detection zone is defined by the aperture in combination with the sensor and is located above a sanitizer dispenser;

b) an enclosure for the sensor houses a dry contact which sends output of the sensor to a signal generator input by a wired connection, which activates a signal generator which transmits a detector signal by an antenna to a user'"'"'s RFID tag;

c) the sensor is a narrow field infrared sensor capable of detecting a presence of a user'"'"'s hands within the detection zone;

d) the sensor only upon detecting the presence of the user'"'"'s hands within the detection zone enables activation of a signal generator field which activates an RFID tag worn by user and enables RFID communication of sanitizer usage compliance to a monitoring system;

e) a user wearing an RFID tag in proximity to the hand sanitizer station and having a hand within the detection zone of the sensor causes hand sanitizer compliance to be communicated to a server, f) after a user'"'"'s hand is removed from the detection zone, the dry contact is opened and the signal generator is de-activated automatically, g) the RFID tag transmits an RFID signal to an RFID network tag reader which relays user compliance data to a monitoring server.

19. The hand sanitizer compliance detection system of claim 18, in which data from networked RFID tag readers is collected and evaluated at a central server for hygiene compliance and recordkeeping.

20. The hand sanitizer compliance detection system of claim 18, in which:

a) the detector enclosure includes a generator enclosure for the signal generator, the generator enclosure having vents and having power, network, and error LED indicators;

b) the generator enclosure has a circular shape and the vents are evenly distributed around internal signal generating electronics.