Automatic hygiene compliance assistance

• US 9,497,428 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2014
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Versus Technology, Inc. (Midmark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Versus Technology, Inc. (Midmark Corporation)
• Inventors: Gaisser, Gary T., Tenarvitz, Henry J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung T
• Application Number:
  US14/335,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20150022361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/572.1, 340/286.07, 340/286.09, 340/505, 340/603
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2010/3266 Wet wipes
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1217 Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/14 Foam or lather making devices for shaving A45D27/02
• 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: H01L 27/146 Imager structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14627 Microlenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/13 with multiple sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

A system for monitoring and improving hygiene compliance in a caregiver setting is provided. The system includes a plurality of hand cleansing dispensers with sensors coupled thereto to detect usage of the dispenser and the identity of the personnel using the dispenser. Usage of the dispenser affects the personnel'"'"'s hygiene compliance. Indicators are coupled to or integral with the dispensers to output a real-time indication of the hygiene compliance of the personnel. As time progresses since the last detected handwashing event, the indicators can reflect the real-time degradation of hygiene compliance to keep the personnel well-informed of their compliance.

Claims

1. A real-time system for monitoring hygiene compliance within a hygiene tracking environment provided by a real-time tracking apparatus, the system comprising:

a plurality of dispensers configured to dispense a hand-cleansing product;

a plurality of auto-ID dispenser tags, each dispenser tag associated with and unique to one of the dispensers;

a dispenser sensor configured to sense an activation of one of the dispensers within the hygiene tracking environment and send a signal of the activation to affect a hygiene compliance status of personnel whose hygiene compliance is desired to be tracked;

one or more sensory indicators at one or more of the dispensers and adapted to controllably indicate hygiene compliance and non-compliance of personnel whose hygiene compliance is desired to be tracked; and

at least one controller communicatively coupled to a respective dispenser sensor and the one or more sensory indicators, the at least one controller programmed to activate or alter the one or more sensory indicators based at least upon the hygiene compliance status of the personnel.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to activate or alter the one or more sensory indicators based at least upon the dispenser sensor sensing an activation of the dispenser.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to activate or alter the one or more sensory indicators based at least upon a time elapsing since a previous activation of the dispenser.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensory indicators include one or more visual indicators.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to progressively alter the one or more visual indicators as time elapses since the previous activation of the dispenser.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more visual indicators include a plurality of lights, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to reduce the number of lights that are illuminated based on the time elapsing since the previous activation of the dispenser.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more visual indicators include an illuminated display, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to change a color of the illuminated display based on the time elapsing since the previous activation of the dispenser.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is mounted to a local device or an off-board control system separate from the dispensers.

9. A hand-cleansing dispenser for use within a hygiene tracking environment, the dispenser comprising:

a housing;

a transceiver disposed within the housing and configured to transmit an ID of the dispenser to an off-board server;

a sensor configured to sense an activation of the dispenser;

one or more indicators adapted to controllably output a hygiene compliance status of personnel whose hygiene compliance is desired to be tracked; and

at least one controller communicatively coupled to the transceiver, the sensor, and the one or more indicators, the at least one controller programmed to activate or alter the indicators based at least upon a hygiene status of the personnel.

10. The dispenser of claim 9, wherein the at least one controller is programmed to activate or alter the indicators based at least upon the activation of the dispenser by the personnel.

11. The dispenser of claim 9, wherein the one or more indicators comprise one or more visual indicators.

12. The dispenser of claim 11, wherein the one or more visual indicators include a plurality of lights, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to reduce the number of lights that are illuminated based on the time elapsing since the previous activation of the dispenser.

13. The dispenser of claim 11, wherein the one or more visual indicators include an illuminated display, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to change a color of the illuminated display based on the time elapsing since the previous activation of the dispenser.

14. The dispenser of claim 11, wherein the one or more visual indicators includes a row or column of LEDs within a guided path on a designated portion of a face of the dispenser.

15. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein the at least one controller is programmed to modify light emitting from the row or column of LEDs based at least upon a time elapsing since a previous activation of the dispenser.

16. The dispenser of claim 15, wherein the at least one controller is programmed to modify a color of the row or column of LEDs based at least upon the time elapsing since the previous activation of the dispenser.

17. The dispenser of claim 16, wherein the at least one controller is programmed to modify light emitting from the row or column of LEDs to indicate a hygiene-compliance status.

18. The dispenser of claim 11, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to progressively alter the one or more visual indicators as time elapses since the previous activation of the dispenser.

19. The dispenser of claim 9, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to, in response to a determination that use of a second dispenser is required for hygiene-compliance, disable use of the dispenser based upon an attempted use of the dispenser.

20. A real-time computer implemented method of monitoring hygiene compliance of personnel within a tracking environment provided by a real-time tracking apparatus, wherein auto-ID personnel tags are associated with personnel in the tracking environment, each personnel tag being capable of transmitting a wireless signal including ID information unique to its associated personnel tag, wherein auto-ID dispenser tags are associated with dispensers in the tracking environment, each dispenser tag being capable of transmitting a signal including ID information unique to its associated dispenser, the dispenser being capable of dispensing a cleaning agent for hand washing, the method comprising:

assigning a status of hygiene-compliant to a person associated with one of the personnel tags based on a first transceiver associated with the dispenser sensing activation of the dispenser indicating a desired handwashing event by the person;

audibly or visually outputting the status of hygiene-compliant of the person on the dispenser;

receiving a first signal indicative of the person transitioning from the status of hygiene-compliant to a status of hygiene-noncompliant; and

altering the audible or visual output on the dispenser based on the first signal to output the status of hygiene-noncompliant on the dispenser.