System and method for detecting hand hygiene compliance

• US 9,218,734 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2013
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Wallace, Robert Lee, Scarola, Todd Franklin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T
• Application Number:
  US14/140,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20150179047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/539.1, 340/561, 340/691.1, 340/692, 340/540, 340/541
• 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

Abstract

A device configured to be disposed on or proximate to a dispenser and to detect hand hygiene compliance is provided. The device includes a proximity detection device configured to detect a location and an identifier of a caregiver within a proximity of the device. The device also includes a transducer configured to detect a release event from the dispenser by detecting an acoustic waveform emitted from the dispenser when soap or sanitizer is released from the dispenser. The device further includes a processing device configured to associate the caregiver with the release event based on detecting the acoustic waveform when the caregiver is located within the proximity of the device.

Claims

1. A device configured to be disposed on or proximate to a dispenser and to detect hand hygiene compliance, comprising:

a proximity detection device configured to detect a location and an identifier of a caregiver within a proximity of the device;

a transducer configured to detect a release event from the dispenser by detecting an acoustic waveform emitted from the dispenser when soap or sanitizer is released from the dispenser; and

a processing device configured to associate the caregiver with the release event based on detecting the acoustic waveform when the caregiver is located within the proximity of the device; and

a memory configured to store at least one acoustic waveform, wherein the at least one acoustic waveform represents a specific type of dispenser,

wherein the processing device is configured to receive a signal representative of the detected acoustic waveform from the transducer and to compare the detected acoustic waveform to the at least one acoustic waveform to determine an occurrence of the release event.

2. The device of claim 1, comprising a wireless interface configured to wirelessly transmit data to a server, wherein the data comprises at least the release event and the identifier of the caregiver associated with the release event.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the data comprises a time when the caregiver was detected within the proximity of the device and a time when the release event occurred.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the transducer comprises a microphone.

5. The device of claim 1, comprising a system on a chip having the processing device.

6. The device of claim 1, comprising a power source.

7. The device of claim 1, comprising a housing, wherein the proximity detection device, the transducer, and the processing device are disposed within the housing.

8. A device configured to be disposed on or proximate to a dispenser and to detect hand hygiene compliance, comprising:

a proximity detection device configured to detect a location and an identifier of a caregiver within a proximity of the device;

a transducer configured to detect a release event from the dispenser by detecting an acoustic waveform emitted from the dispenser when soap or sanitizer is released from the dispenser; and

a processing device configured to associate the caregiver with the release event based on detecting the acoustic waveform when the caregiver is located within the proximity of the device; and

a memory, wherein the memory is configured to store a plurality of acoustic waveforms, each acoustic waveform of the plurality of acoustic waveforms representing a different type of dispenser, and wherein the processing device is configured to receive a signal representative of the detected acoustic waveform from the transducer and to compare the detected acoustic waveform to the plurality of acoustic waveforms to determine an occurrence of the release event.

9. The device of claim 8, comprising a housing, wherein the proximity detection device, the transducer, and the processing device are disposed within the housing.

10. The device of claim 8, comprising a wireless interface configured to wirelessly transmit a data to a server, wherein the data comprises at least the release event and the identifier of the caregiver associated with the release event.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the data comprises a time when the caregiver was detected within the proximity of the device and a time when the release event occurred.

12. A method to detect hand hygiene compliance, comprising:

detecting, via a proximity detection device, a location and an identifier of a caregiver within a proximity of a dispenser;

detecting, via a transducer, a release event from the dispenser by detecting an acoustic waveform emitted from the dispenser when soap or sanitizer is released from the dispenser;

receiving, at a processing device, a signal representative of the detected acoustic waveform from the transducer;

comparing, via the processing device, the detected acoustic waveform to at least one acoustic waveform stored on a memory to determine an occurrence of the release event, wherein the at least one acoustic waveform represents a specific type of dispenser; and

associating, via a processing device, the caregiver with the release event based on the detected acoustic waveform when the caregiver is located within the proximity of the dispenser.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising wirelessly transmitting, via a wireless interface, data to a server, wherein the data comprises at least the release event and the identifier of the caregiver associated with the release event.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the data comprises a time when the caregiver was detected within the proximity of the dispenser and a time when the release event occurred.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the proximity detection device, the transducer, the processing device, and the wireless interface are disposed with a housing of a single device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the single device is disposed on or proximate to the dispenser.

18. The method of claim 12, comprising receiving at the processing device a signal representative of the detected acoustic waveform from the transducer, and comparing, via the processing device, the detected acoustic waveform to a plurality of acoustic waveforms stored on a memory to determine an occurrence of the release event, wherein each acoustic waveform of the plurality of acoustic waveforms represents a different type of dispenser.

15. The method of 14, comprising determining whether the occurrence of the release event occurred prior to a predefined event.

19. A device configured to be disposed on or proximate to a dispenser and to detect hand hygiene compliance, comprising:

a memory structure encoding one or more processor-executable routines, wherein the routines, when executed, cause acts to be performed comprising;

receiving an identifier of a caregiver within a proximity of the device;

receiving, from a transducer, a signal representative of a detected acoustic waveform emitted from the dispenser when soap or sanitizer is released from the dispenser during a release event;

comparing the detected acoustic waveform to at least one acoustic waveform stored on the memory structure to determine an occurrence of the release event, wherein the at least one acoustic waveform represents a specific type of dispenser; and

associating the caregiver with the release event based on detecting the acoustic waveform when the caregiver is located within the proximity of the dispenser; and

a processing component configured to access and execute the one or more routines encoded by the memory structure.

20. The device of claim 19, comprising a system on a chip comprising the memory structure and the processing component.