Hand hygiene dispenser monitor

• US 9,159,216 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2013
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DEB IP Limited (SC Johnson & Son Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Debmed Usa LLC
• Inventors: Limbert, Dean Philip, Bouton, Didier, Dodds, Paul Samuel, Lang, Christopher James
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US13/765,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20140225732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/573.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.23
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• 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 monitor is located adjacent to a hand hygiene product dispenser and extends a sensor field adjacent to the hand hygiene product dispenser. The sensor senses activity adjacent to the hand hygiene product dispenser in the sensor field. The monitor determines whether sensed activity indicates a use of the hand hygiene product dispenser and reports a use of the dispenser to a monitoring system when a use is determined.

Claims

1. A monitor for augmenting a hand hygiene product dispenser that is mounted to a wall, the monitor comprising:

a case that is separate from the hand hygiene product dispenser and configured to be mounted to the wall adjacent to the hand hygiene product dispenser;

a sensor that is mounted to the case and that is configured to extend a sensor field from the wall-mounted case to a region adjacent to a product-dispensing nozzle of a hand hygiene product;

processing components that receive communications from the sensor and that determine whether the communications from the sensor indicate use of the hand hygiene product dispenser;

communication components connected to the processing components, the communication components configured to report determined use of the hand hygiene product dispenser to a monitoring system; and

an extension configured to extend from a side of the case and along the wall to which the case and hand hygiene product dispenser are mounted;

wherein the extension comprises a leg that extends away from the wall at a location separate from the case such that the product-dispensing nozzle dispenses hand hygiene products at a location between the leg and the side of the case;

wherein the sensor comprises an infrared transmitter mounted to the leg and an infrared receiver at the side of the case;

wherein the infrared receiver communicates to the processing components when infrared light emitted by the infrared transmitter is reflected to the infrared receiver; and

wherein the processing components determine whether an object is present in the sensor field based on receipt of the infrared light by the infrared receiver.

2. The monitor of claim 1, wherein the communication components comprise an RF transceiver for wireless communication.

3. A monitor for augmenting a hand hygiene product dispenser that is mounted to a wall, the monitor comprising:

a case that is separate from the hand hygiene product dispenser and configured to be mounted to the wall adjacent to the hand hygiene product dispenser;

a sensor that is mounted to the case and that is configured to extend a sensor field from the wall-mounted case to a region adjacent to a product-dispensing nozzle of a hand hygiene product;

processing components that receive communications from the sensor and that determine whether the communications from the sensor indicate use of the hand hygiene product dispenser;

communication components connected to the processing components, the communication components configured to report determined use of the hand hygiene product dispenser to a monitoring system;

wherein the sensor comprises an ultrasonic sensor mounted to a side of the case and positioned to detect waves associated with an object moving in the sensor field;

wherein the ultrasonic sensor communicates to the processing components when waves are reflected to the ultrasonic sensor; and

wherein the processing components determine whether the object is moving in the sensor field based on communication from the ultrasonic sensor.

4. The monitor of claim 3, wherein the sensor is rotatably mounted to the case and rotation of the sensor changes the direction of the sensor field.

5. The monitor of claim 3, wherein the communication components comprise an RF transceiver for wireless communication.

6. A monitor for augmenting a hand hygiene product dispenser that is mounted to a wall, the monitor comprising:

a case that is separate from the hand hygiene product dispenser and configured to be mounted to the wall adjacent to the hand hygiene product dispenser;

a sensor that is mounted to the case and that is configured to extend a sensor field from the wall-mounted case to a region adjacent to a product-dispensing nozzle of a hand hygiene product;

processing components that receive communications from the sensor and that determine whether the communications from the sensor indicate use of the hand hygiene product dispenser; and

communication components connected to the processing components, the communication components configured to report determined use of the hand hygiene product dispenser to a monitoring system;

wherein the sensor comprises a sensor arm that extends from the case and away from the wall, and a plurality of proximity sensors positioned along the sensor arm and adjacent to each other;

wherein each proximity sensor generates a sensor field perpendicular to the sensor arm into a region proximate a lever of the hand hygiene product dispenser such that the lever sequentially passes through the generated sensor fields of the plurality of proximity sensors when depressed;

wherein the proximity sensors each communicate to the processing components when an object is sensed by the proximity sensor; and

wherein the processing components infers movement of the lever based on communications from the proximity sensors.

7. The monitor of claim 6, wherein the plurality of proximity sensors comprises three proximity sensors at separated locations along the sensor arm.

8. The monitor of claim 6, wherein the communication components comprise an RF transceiver for wireless communication.

9. A monitor for augmenting a hand hygiene product dispenser that is mounted to a wall, the monitor comprising:

a case that is separate from the hand hygiene product dispenser and configured to be mounted to the wall adjacent to the hand hygiene product dispenser;

a sensor that is mounted to the case and that is configured to extend a sensor field from the wall-mounted case to a region adjacent to a product-dispensing nozzle of a hand hygiene product;

processing components that receive communications from the sensor and that determine whether the communications from the sensor indicate use of the hand hygiene product dispenser;

communication components connected to the processing components, the communication components configured to report determined use of the hand hygiene product dispenser to a monitoring system; and

an extension configured to extend from a side of the case and along the wall to which the case and hand hygiene product dispenser are mounted;

wherein the extension comprises a leg that extends away from the wall at a location separate from the case such that the product-dispensing nozzle dispenses hand hygiene products at a location between the leg and the side of the case;

wherein the sensor comprises an infrared transmitter mounted to the leg and an infrared receiver at the side of the case;

wherein the infrared transmitter and receiver develop the sensor field that extends to the region adjacent the product-dispensing nozzle; and

wherein the infrared receiver creates an indication of a presence of an object in the sensor field when infrared light emitted by the infrared transmitter is blocked from reaching the infrared receiver.

10. The monitor of claim 9, wherein the communication components comprise an RF transceiver for wireless communication.

11. A method of augmenting a hand hygiene product dispenser that is mounted to a wall, the method comprising:

mounting a separate, external monitor to the wall such that a sensor field of the monitor extends into a region associated with a product-dispensing nozzle of the hand hygiene product dispenser;

sensing, with the separate, external monitor, activity in the sensor field;

determining, with the separate, external monitor, whether the sensed activity indicates use of the hand hygiene product dispenser;

communicating, from the separate, external monitor to a monitoring system, an indication that the hand hygiene product dispenser has been used;

developing at least another sensor field that extends into another region adjacent to the product-dispensing nozzle; and

sensing sequential activity in the two or more sensor fields;

wherein said determining whether the sensed activity indicates use of the dispenser is based on the sensed sequential activity in the two or more sensor fields.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said sensing activity in the sensor field comprises sensing presence of an object in the sensor field.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said sensing activity in the sensor field comprises sensing motion of an object in the sensor field.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said sensing activity in the sensor field comprises sensing movement of a lever of the hand hygiene dispenser that causes the hand hygiene dispenser to dispense an amount of a hand hygiene product.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said sensing activity in the sensor field comprises sensing an object actuating a lever of the hand hygiene dispenser to cause the hand hygiene product dispenser to dispense a hand hygiene product.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said communicating comprises wirelessly transmitting the indication to the monitoring system.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein:

said sensing activity in the sensor field comprises sensing a presence of an object in the sensor field; and

said determining comprises determining, based on a length of time that the object is present in the sensor field, whether the hand hygiene product dispenser has been used.

18. A monitor for augmenting a hand hygiene product dispenser that is mounted to a wall, the monitor comprising:

a case that is separate from the hand hygiene product dispenser and configured to be mounted to the wall adjacent to the hand hygiene product dispenser;

a sensor that is mounted to the case and that is configured to extend a sensor field from the wall-mounted case to a region adjacent to a product-dispensing nozzle of a hand hygiene product;

processing components that receive communications from the sensor and that determine whether the communications from the sensor indicate use of the hand hygiene product dispenser; and

communication components connected to the processing components, the communication components configured to report determined use of the hand hygiene product dispenser to a monitoring system; and

wherein the sensor extends a second sensor field to another region adjacent to the product-dispensing nozzle; and

wherein the processing components further determine whether the communications from the sensor indicates use of the hand hygiene product dispenser based on sensed sequential activity of the sensor field and the second sensor field.

19. The monitor of claim 18, wherein the communication components comprise an RF transceiver for wireless communication.