Hygiene monitoring system

• US 9,189,950 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2010
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veraz Limited
• Original Assignee: Veraz Limited
• Inventors: Best, Kenneth Alaric
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US13/504,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20120268277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,847 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 3405391-53913
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system suitable for monitoring the contamination potential associated with one or more mobile objects within an environment containing one or more fixed or mobile sources of contamination or cleansing. The system comprises a plurality of signal indicator devices connected to the or each source, each indicator device emitting a signal. The system further comprises a monitoring device connected to the or each object, the monitoring device being operable to: detect signals of the type emitted by an indicator device; infer the occurrence of contact between an object and a source from a detected signal; determine a level of contamination risk from the inferred contact; and output a status signal indicative thereof.

Claims

1. A system suitable for monitoring contamination potential associated with one or more mobile objects within an environment containing one or more fixed or mobile potential sources of contamination or cleansing, the system comprising:

a plurality of signal indicator devices connected to the or each source, each indicator device emitting an electrical signal;

a monitoring device connected to the or each object, the monitoring device being operable to detect electrical signals of the type emitted by an indicator device via an instance of physical contact between an object and a source;

establish the occurrence of touch contact between an object and a source from a detected signal;

determine a level of contamination risk from the established contact; and

output a status signal indicative thereof, wherein the electrical signal emitted by the indicator device is indicative of the type of source to which it is connected, and wherein the monitoring device includes an electrical contact disposed between the monitoring device and the object to detect an electrical signal and the indicator device includes another electrical contact disposed between the indicator device and the source to emit an electrical signal across the source.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indicator device is operable to emit a signal incorporating a unique identification code.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the code allows the monitoring device to identify the specific indicator device.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the monitoring device infers contact when the detected signal strength exceeds a threshold level and/or the detected signal duration exceeds a preset period.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the contact inference differs for different sources.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the monitoring device determines the contact quality based on the signal strength and/or signal duration.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indicator device further comprises a sensing means operable to monitor a contact, the indicator device outputting a signal indicative of the contact quality based on the output of the sensing means.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the monitoring device classifies the contamination risk according to a classification scheme, the classification scheme comprising varying levels of contamination risk.

9. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the classification of the contamination risk varies from one level to another in response to each inferred contact or wherein the status signal is indicative of the classification of the contamination risk.

10. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the monitoring device is further provided with an integral or separate status display unit.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the status display unit takes the form of a colour, pattern, symbol or a combination thereof, or is operable to output an audio indication, or is operable to change colour to indicate risk classification.

12. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indicator device or the monitoring device is provided with attachment means enabling attachment to the source or object respectively.

13. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the attachment means comprises one or more electrical surfaces enabling electrical connections to be made between the indicator device and the source, or the monitoring device and the object.

14. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a management unit, said management unit being in one way or two way communication with one or more monitoring devices and/or one or more indicator devices.

15. A system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the management unit is operable to store a record of the contamination risk of any particular object or source over time.

16. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indicator device comprises a bracelet to be worn about the person of a patient, the bracelet being provided with electrical contacts operable to emit an electrical signal onto the patient'"'"'s skin, or wherein the object is a person and the monitoring device comprises a package adapted to be carried on that person, the package being provided with electrical contacts adjacent or in contact to the worker'"'"'s skin.

21. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the monitoring device detects electrical signals only via an instance of physical contact between the object and source.

17. A method of monitoring the contamination potential associated with one or more objects within an environment containing one or more potential sources of contamination or cleansing, the method comprising attaching indicator devices to or in proximity to each source;

attaching monitoring devices to each person or object, establishing touch contact between an object and a source by detecting with a monitoring device electrical signals emitted by an indicator device following an instance of physical contact between an object and a source;

determining a level of contamination risk based on the established contact; and

outputting a status signal indicative thereof wherein the electrical signal emitted by the indicator device is indicative of the type of source to which it is connected, and wherein the monitoring device includes an electrical contact disposed between the monitoring device and the object to detect an electrical signal and the indicator device includes another electrical contact disposed between the indicator device and the source to emit an electrical signal across the source.

18. A monitoring device suitable for monitoring and determining the contamination risk associated with an object within an environment containing one or more potential sources of contamination or cleansing, the monitoring device comprising:

connection means for connecting the device to said object;

a receiver operable to detect electrical signals from indicator devices connected to a source in physical contact with the object; and

a processing unit operable to establish touch contact between the object and a source from the detected electrical signal, determine a level of contamination risk from the established contact and output a status signal indicative thereof, and wherein the monitoring device includes an electrical contact disposed between the monitoring device and the object to detect an electrical signal and the indicator device includes another electrical contact disposed between the indicator device and the source to emit an electrical signal across the source.

19. A system suitable for monitoring contamination potential associated with one or more mobile objects within an environment containing one or more fixed or mobile potential sources of contamination or cleansing, the system comprising:

a plurality of signal indicator devices connected to the or each source, each indicator device emitting an electrical signal;

a monitoring device connected to the or each object, the monitoring device being operable to detect electrical signals of the type emitted by an indicator device via an instance of physical contact between an object and a source;

infer the occurrence of touch contact between an object and a source from a detected signal;

determine a level of contamination risk from the inferred contact; and

output a status signal indicative thereof, wherein the electrical signal emitted by the indicator device is indicative of the type of source to which it is connected, and wherein the monitoring device includes an electrical contact disposed between the monitoring device and the object to detect an electrical signal and the indicator device includes another electrical contact disposed between the indicator device and the source to emit an electrical signal across the source.

20. A system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the monitoring device further includes a receiver operable to detect electrical signals from indicator devices connected to a source and in physical contact with the object;

and a processing unit operable to infer touch contact between the object and a source from the detected electrical signal, determine a level of contamination risk from the inferred contact and output a status signal indicative thereof.