System and method for monitoring hygiene standards compliance
First Claim
1. A hygiene monitoring system for monitoring hygiene standards compliance in a facility, the hygiene monitoring system utilizing only radio frequency (RF) signals and comprising a surveillance network including a monitoring unit, a plurality of fixed network units, and a plurality of mobile network units;
- each of said plurality of mobile network units including a transmitter for transmitting a first identification signal and a second identification signal, the first identification signal transmitted periodically and the first identification signal particular to a position of an individual associated with one of said plurality of mobile network units, the second identification signal transmitted sporadically and the second identification signal resultant from an action performed by the individual associated with the one of said plurality of mobile network units;
said surveillance network further comprising the plurality of fixed network units dispersed throughout the facility, each of said plurality of fixed network units including a transceiver to receive the first identification signal and the second identification signal from one or more of said plurality of mobile network units and transmit the first identification signal and the second identification signal to said monitoring unit;
said each of said plurality of mobile network units and said each of said plurality of fixed network units together forming a wireless personal area network (WPAN);
said monitoring unit further comprising a receiver for receiving the first identification signal and the second identification signal, an accessible memory for storing the first identification signal and the second identification signal, and a processor to analyse the first identification signal and the second identification signal in accessible memory and generate a hygiene standards compliance profile for the particular individual associated with said each of said plurality of mobile network units;
said each of said plurality of fixed network units further comprises a sensor to determine radio frequency signal strength data of each first identification signal received from said each of said plurality of mobile network units, for onward transmission of radio frequency signal strength data to said monitoring unit along with the corresponding first identification signal;
said processor includes means to determine the position of said each of said plurality of mobile network units from the radio frequency signal strength data of each mobile unit received from two or more said plurality of fixed network units; and
said monitoring unit includes means to access a floor plan layout of the facility and illustrate on the floor plan layout a point representing the first identification signal over time of each of said plurality of mobile network units to obtain a plot of a plurality of points representing a movement pattern of each mobile network unit, the movement pattern of each mobile network unit included in the hygiene standards compliance profile.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This invention relates to a system and method of monitoring hygiene standards compliance in a medical facility in which there is provided a surveillance network having a monitoring unit 3 and a plurality of mobile network units 7. There may additionally be provided a plurality of fixed network units 5. The monitoring unit 3, mobile network units 7 and fixed network units 5 are connected by way of a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN), in this case a ZigBee network. Identification signals are sent from the mobiles network units 7 to the monitoring unit 3 and the monitoring unit stores the identification signals in memory and generates a hygiene standards compliance profile for an individual associated with a particular mobile network unit. The hygiene compliance profile may provide information relating to the number of times that a particular individual washed their hands to information regarding the patients that that individual came into contact with over the course of a shift. Reports on the behavior of individuals or groups of individuals may be generated.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A hygiene monitoring system for monitoring hygiene standards compliance in a facility, the hygiene monitoring system utilizing only radio frequency (RF) signals and comprising a surveillance network including a monitoring unit, a plurality of fixed network units, and a plurality of mobile network units;
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each of said plurality of mobile network units including a transmitter for transmitting a first identification signal and a second identification signal, the first identification signal transmitted periodically and the first identification signal particular to a position of an individual associated with one of said plurality of mobile network units, the second identification signal transmitted sporadically and the second identification signal resultant from an action performed by the individual associated with the one of said plurality of mobile network units; said surveillance network further comprising the plurality of fixed network units dispersed throughout the facility, each of said plurality of fixed network units including a transceiver to receive the first identification signal and the second identification signal from one or more of said plurality of mobile network units and transmit the first identification signal and the second identification signal to said monitoring unit; said each of said plurality of mobile network units and said each of said plurality of fixed network units together forming a wireless personal area network (WPAN); said monitoring unit further comprising a receiver for receiving the first identification signal and the second identification signal, an accessible memory for storing the first identification signal and the second identification signal, and a processor to analyse the first identification signal and the second identification signal in accessible memory and generate a hygiene standards compliance profile for the particular individual associated with said each of said plurality of mobile network units; said each of said plurality of fixed network units further comprises a sensor to determine radio frequency signal strength data of each first identification signal received from said each of said plurality of mobile network units, for onward transmission of radio frequency signal strength data to said monitoring unit along with the corresponding first identification signal; said processor includes means to determine the position of said each of said plurality of mobile network units from the radio frequency signal strength data of each mobile unit received from two or more said plurality of fixed network units; and said monitoring unit includes means to access a floor plan layout of the facility and illustrate on the floor plan layout a point representing the first identification signal over time of each of said plurality of mobile network units to obtain a plot of a plurality of points representing a movement pattern of each mobile network unit, the movement pattern of each mobile network unit included in the hygiene standards compliance profile. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 30)
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16. A method utilizing only radio frequency (RF) signals for monitoring hygiene standards compliance by individuals in a facility, the facility having a surveillance network comprising a monitoring unit and a plurality of mobile network units, the mobile network units each having a transmitter for transmitting a first identification signal and a second identification signal, each particular to an individual associated with one of the plurality of mobile network units, the surveillance network further comprising a plurality of fixed network units dispersed throughout the facility, each of the plurality of fixed network units including a transceiver to receive the first identification signal and the second identification signal from the plurality of mobile network units and transmit the identification signal onward to the monitoring unit, the plurality of mobile network units and the plurality of fixed network units together forming part of a wireless personal area network (WPAN), the monitoring unit including a processor, an accessible memory, and a receiver for receiving the first identification signal and the second identification signal, the method comprising the steps of:
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transmitting the first identification signal and the second identification signal by the one of the plurality of mobile network units to the monitoring unit via at least one of the plurality of fixed network units in the WPAN, the first identification signal transmitted periodically and the first identification signal particular to a position of an individual associated with one of said plurality of mobile network units, the second identification signal transmitted upon an action performed by the individual associated with the one of said plurality of mobile network units; receiving the first identification signal and the second identification signal by the monitoring unit; storing the first identification signal and the second identification signal in accessible memory; analyzing the first identification signal and the second identification signal stored in accessible memory and thereafter generating a hygiene standards compliance profile for one or more of the individuals associated with the one or more of the plurality mobile network units, wherein the step of generating the hygiene standards compliance profile includes illustrating by the monitoring unit a point representing the location of the each of the plurality of mobile network units in the facility over time to obtain a plurality of points representing a plot of a movement pattern of each mobile network unit; and accepting the first identification signal by two or more of the plurality of fixed network units directly from the each of the plurality of mobile network unit and determining by each of the plurality of fixed network units radio frequency signal strength data of the first identification signal and providing the radio frequency signal strength data to the monitoring unit along with the first identification signal such that the monitoring unit can determine the position of the each of the plurality of mobile network units in the facility from the radio frequency signal strength data. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32)
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33. A method utilizing only radio frequency (RF) signals for monitoring hygiene standards compliance by individuals in a facility, the facility having a surveillance network comprising a monitoring unit and a plurality of mobile network units, the mobile network units each having a transmitter for transmitting a first identification signal and a second identification signal, each particular to an individual associated with one of the plurality of mobile network units, the surveillance network further comprising a plurality of fixed network units dispersed throughout the facility, each of the plurality of fixed network units including a transceiver to receive the first identification signal and the second identification signal from the plurality of mobile network units and transmit the identification signal onward to the monitoring unit, the plurality of mobile network units and the plurality of fixed network units together forming part of a wireless personal area network (WPAN), the monitoring unit including a processor, an accessible memory, and a receiver for receiving the first identification signal and the second identification signal, the method comprising the steps of:
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transmitting the first identification signal and the second identification signal by the one of the plurality of mobile network units to the monitoring unit via at least one of the plurality of fixed network units in the WPAN, the first identification signal transmitted periodically and the first identification signal particular to a position of an individual associated with one of said plurality of mobile network units, the second identification signal transmitted upon an action performed by the individual associated with the one of said plurality of mobile network units; receiving the first identification signal and the second identification signal by the monitoring unit; storing the first identification signal and the second identification signal in accessible memory; analyzing the first identification signal and the second identification signal stored in accessible memory and thereafter generating a hygiene standards compliance profile for one or more of the individuals associated with the one or more of the plurality mobile network units; accepting the first identification signal by two or more of the plurality of fixed network units directly from the each of the plurality of mobile network unit and determining by each of the plurality of fixed network units radio frequency signal strength data of the first identification signal and providing the radio frequency signal strength data to the monitoring unit along with the first identification signal such that the monitoring unit can determine the position of the each of the plurality of mobile network units in the facility from the radio frequency signal strength data; and said monitoring unit further comprising a means to access a floor plan layout of the facility and illustrate on the floor plan layout a point representing the first identification signal over time of each of said plurality of mobile network units to obtain a plurality of points representing a plot of a movement pattern of each mobile network unit. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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Specification