Systems and methods for monitoring caregiver and patient protocol compliance

• US 9,235,977 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2012
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richard Deutsch
• Original Assignee: Richard Deutsch
• Inventors: Deutsch, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Peter D
• Application Number:
  US13/385,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20120212582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• 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: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A system and methods is provided for facilitating, monitoring and recording caregiver and patient compliance with established hospital hand hygiene protocols. The system comprises a 3-D imaging and monitoring assembly and an optional intelligent programmable monitor/sanitizer. Three dimensional imagery tracks a caregiver'"'"'s movements and location while generating a representative image value. Information acquired by the imaging system determines the proximity of a caregiver to the patient and/or contamination source and determines if the sanitizers provided have been utilized and if so, at an appropriate time and distance from the patient per hospital protocol. While being monitored, a representative Avatar based on physical characteristics derived from three dimensional images of the caregiver and patient may be generated so as to maintain anonymity of both unless a violation of institutional protocol occurs which may be forensically recorded in real-time for analysis.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring protocol compliance comprising:

capturing a three dimensional image of one or more select persons within a monitored area via that imaging system;

generating feature vectors uniquely associated with the physical features within those images of the one or more select persons;

creating an avatar from the one or more select person'"'"'s feature vectors of the one or more selected persons as representative;

creating an identify image value representing that avatar;

associating and encoding those image values to an identification monitor associated with that one or more persons; and

comparing the image value of that person with that image value of the identification monitor thereby determining if that person enters a monitored area or contacts a specified imaged object thereby changing the status of the person.

2. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the person possesses a required identification monitor by detection of all or part of the associated encoded image value based identification code available from that identification monitor representing that person;

generating a control signal indicating that person is not wearing an encoded identification monitor if the image based identification code is absent;

tracking the location of the person'"'"'s avatar determining when the person enters and leaves a monitored area; and

thereby changing the status of the person.

3. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

determining whether the avatar has come within a first distance of a predetermined location within a monitored area;

determining whether the avatar has come within a second distance closer than the first to the predetermined location; and

generating a control signal following detection of the avatar sequentially coming within the first and second distances of the specific location and thereby changing the status of the avatar.

4. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising the steps of;

determining whether that person'"'"'s identification monitor has generated an identifiable image value associated control signal thereby evidencing use of an operatively associated device by that person; and

altering that person'"'"'s avatar'"'"'s indicated status based on use of that device by that persons.

5. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising the step of;

generating a caution or warning control signal upon determining the avatar'"'"'s near proximity to a specific surface or object within the monitored area; and

altering that persons avatar'"'"'s indicated status based on a control signal reflecting that persons location and a control signal evidencing concurrent use of an associated monitored device.

6. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising the step of;

a visible or infra-red imaging system including the capacity for three dimensional imaging through the use of one or more cameras.

7. A system for monitoring protocol compliance comprising:

A visible or infra-red electro-optical imaging system and cooperating processor capable of capturing a three dimensional image of one or more select persons within a monitored area via that imaging system;

a processing assembly for determining whether the one or more persons moves or contacts an object, location or position by extracting and analyzing motion and position from the three dimensional image;

a processing assembly for generating a set of feature vectors uniquely associated with the physical features within that images of the one or more select persons;

a processing assembly for creating an avatar from the one or more select persons feature vectors of the one or more selected persons as representative;

processing assembly for generating a unique communicable identifying image value representing that avatar;

a processing assembly for wirelessly encoding those image values into a portable identification monitor representing that one or more persons; and

a processing assembly for tracking and identifying that avatar via that identifying image value.

8. A system as described in claim 7, further comprising the step of;

a processing assembly capable of determining the image values of that identification monitor in possession of that persons;

a processing assembly capable of determining the image values of that avatar representing that person; and

a processing assembly operatively associated with an annunciator for indicating the association.

9. A system as described in claim 8, further comprising the step of;

a processing assembly for determining an avatars access to a privileged area via correlating image value of the portable monitor in their possession to an external data base of acceptable image values for that monitored area.

10. A system as described in claim 9, further comprising;

a processing assembly for determining a correlation of that persons identification monitor'"'"'s image value with a data base of known person'"'"'s avatar image values; and

an operatively associated annunciator for displaying a first message indicating same.

11. A system as described in claim 9, further comprising;

a processing assembly for determining a lack of correlation of that avatars identification image value with a data base of known person'"'"'s avatar image values; and

an operatively associated annunciator for displaying a second message indicating same.

12. A system as described in claim 7, further comprising;

a processing assembly for determining a positive correlation of that persons identification monitor'"'"'s image value with a data base of known person'"'"'s avatar image values allowable in a specific monitored area; and

an operatively associated annunciator for indicating same on that persons monitor.

13. A system as described in claim 7, further comprising;

a processing assembly for determining a negative correlation of that persons avatar'"'"'s image value with a data base of known person'"'"'s avatar image values; and

an operatively associated annunciator for displaying a third message indicating same.

14. A system as described in claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

a processing assembly for determining whether the person possesses the required identification monitor and identification code when in a predetermined area including;

a processing assembly for communicating with the processing assembly of that identification monitor representing that person;

a processing assembly for generating a control signal indicating that person is not wearing an identification monitor if the monitors image based identification code is absent or an incorrect image value identification code is present when viewing a select persons; and

a processing assembly for tracking the location of that person'"'"'s avatar via their image value and determining when that person enters and leaves a specific location within a monitored area thereby changing the status of that avatar.

15. A method for monitoring hygiene compliance comprising:

capturing a three dimensional image of one or more select persons within a room via that imaging system;

determining whether the one or more persons moves or contacts an object, location or position by extracting and analyzing motion and position from the three dimensional image;

generating feature vectors uniquely associated with the physical features of the one or more select persons image;

creating an avatar from the one or more select person'"'"'s feature vectors of the one or more selected persons as representative;

creating an identify image value representing the avatar;

associating and conveying those image values with an that one or more persons identification monitor;

generating a message reactive to the correlating of an image value associated signal from the identification monitor evidencing use of a specific sanitizer and the image value of that person'"'"'s avatar within a monitored area.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

determining whether the avatar has come within a first distance of a patient'"'"'s location;

determining whether the avatar has come within a second distance closer than the first to the patient'"'"'s location;

determining via the detection of a unique signal associated with that image value identifying that person'"'"'s monitor thereby evidencing use of their sanitizer; and

generating a control signal following detection of the person sequentially coming within the first and second distances of the patient without having caused the actuation of the sanitizing device; and

the step of generating a message and indicating via an annunciator proper compliance with sanitizing protocol evidenced by compliant activation of the sanitizing device.

17. A system for monitoring hygiene compliance comprising:

a processing assembly for capturing a three dimensional image of one or more select persons within an area via that imaging system;

a processing assembly for determining whether the one or more persons moves or contacts an object, location or position by extracting and analyzing motion and position from the three dimensional image;

a processing assembly for generating an avatar of that persons from feature vectors of that persons image;

a processing assembly for generating and image value from the avatar of the one or more select persons;

a processing assembly for tracking the avatar'"'"'s location via the identifying image value;

a processing assembly for conveying that identifying image value to and from that person'"'"'s portable monitor;

a sanitizing device operatively associated with the monitor; and

an indicator device operatively associated with a processing assembly for detecting a monitor'"'"'s image value based control signal evidencing use of a specific sanitizer.

18. The system as described in claim 17, further comprising;

a processing assembly operable for determining whether that sanitizer was actuated in a specified location by the avatar within a monitored area; and

a processing assembly for generating a control signal operatively associated with an annunciator thereby indicating the avatars hygienic status based on an association between the received encoded image value of the monitor evidencing activation of that sanitizer and the determined location of that persons avatar'"'"'s image value within that monitored area.

19. The system as described in claim 17, further comprising;

a processing assembly operable for determining, compiling and recording a HIPAA patient privacy rule compliant data table reflecting individual and collective compliance and non-compliance of that persons avatar with required hygienic protocol; and

a processing assembly operatively associated with an annunciator for graphically displaying that information of that data table.

20. The system as described in claim 17, further comprising;

an annunciator operatively associated with a processing assembly for displaying a first message indicating protocol compliant use of that specific sanitizer as evidenced by activation of the sanitizer in a predetermined area during a pre-determined time interval per hygiene protocol requirements by that avatar.

21. The system of claim 17, further comprising;

an annunciator operatively associated with a processing assembly for displaying a second message indicating non-compliant hygiene protocol use of that specific sanitizer as evidenced by the lack of a activation of the sanitizer within a specified time interval within a predetermined area when responding to a control signal indicating activation of the sanitizer outside the required protocol area by the avatar.

22. The system as described in claim 17, further comprising;

a processing assembly operable for determining and generating a control signal associated with an annunciator upon determining that contact or near contact by the avatar with a specific pre-determined surface or object within the monitored area has occurred prior to or subsequent to detection of a signal evidencing activation of the sanitizing device.

23. A system as described in claim 17, further comprising;

a processing assembly operable for determining the identity of a person within a monitored area via the determination of the image value of that person'"'"'s avatar within a monitored area;

a processing assembly operable for associating that image value with a data base of known person'"'"'s avatar'"'"'s image values; and

a processing assembly operatively associated with an annunciator for indicating a positive association with a data base of known avatar'"'"'s image values thereby identifying the person or indicating a lack of identification thereof.

24. A system as described in claim 17, further comprising;

a processing assembly operable for determining the identity of a person within a monitored area via determination of the image value of that person'"'"'s monitor within a monitored area;

a processing assembly operable for associating that image value with a data base of known avatar'"'"'s image values; and

a processing assembly operatively associated with an annunciator for indicating a positive association with a data base of known avatar'"'"'s image values thereby identifying the person or indicating a lack of identification thereof.

25. A system as described in claim 17 wherein the electro-optical imaging system includes the capacity for generating a three dimensional image via one or more cameras.

26. A system for monitoring caregiver and patient protocol compliance comprising:

a sanitizing device;

a processing assembly operable for capturing a three dimensional image of one or more select persons within a room via that imaging system of one or more cameras;

a processing assembly for generating feature vectors uniquely associated with the visible physical features and characteristics of that one or more select persons;

a processing assembly operable for creating an avatar from the one or more select person'"'"'s feature vectors of the one or more selected persons as representative;

a processing assembly for assigning an identifying image value to that person via from the feature vectors of that avatar;

a processing assembly operable for tracking and identifying that avatar via the identifying image value;

a processing assembly functionally responsive to specific images of kinematic hand motions of the avatar at the sanitizing device; and

a processing assembly operatively associated with an annunciator reactive to a control signal from the image processing assembly detecting and determining specific kinematic hand motions by the monitored avatar at the sanitizing device evidencing that persons hands being sanitized.

27. A system as described in claim 26, further comprising;

a processing assembly for determining the identity of a person within a monitored area via determination of the image value of that person'"'"'s avatar within a monitored area;

a processing assembly for associating that image value with a data base of known avatar'"'"'s image values; and

a processing assembly capable of generating a control signal operatively associated with an annunciator for indicating that avatars association with a data base of known avatar'"'"'s image values thereby identifying that person or indicating a lack of identification of that person thereof; and

a processing assembly for associating that person'"'"'s avatar with the determination of proper hand sanitizing per hygiene protocol by that avatar.