Hand-wash management and compliance system

• US 9,721,452 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2015
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WashSense, Inc.
• Original Assignee: WashSense, Inc.
• Inventors: Felch, Andrew, Boyd, Michael, Bessire, John, Movitz, Alex, Dahlberg, Connor
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LAURA N
• Application Number:
  US14/696,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20160314683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• 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 method and apparatus for managing hand-washing compliance can include: sensing a user'"'"'s hand-wash motions; estimating hand-wash scrubs per minute based on the user'"'"'s hand-wash motions; counting a total hand-wash scrubs based on the user'"'"'s hand-wash motions; estimating hand-wash vigor based on the user'"'"'s hand-wash motions; calculating a hand-wash score based on the hand-wash vigor; displaying the hand-wash vigor, the total hand-wash scrubs, and the hand-wash scrubs per minute on a display; and displaying a timer that counts down based on the hand-wash vigor.

Claims

1. A method for managing hand-wash compliance comprising:

acquiring a background image;

acquiring thermal images including an initial thermal image and a subsequent thermal image;

determining hot pixels of the thermal images belonging to a warm-bodied object by;

subtracting the background image from the thermal images, and

filtering out pixels of the thermal images being below a thermal threshold from the background image;

estimating a user'"'"'s hand-wash motions, the user'"'"'s hand-wash motions being estimated by determining a change in the hot pixels between the initial thermal image and the subsequent thermal image;

estimating hand-wash scrubs per minute based on the user'"'"'s hand-wash motions;

counting a total hand-wash scrubs based on the user'"'"'s hand-wash motions;

estimating hand-wash vigor based on a number of transitions between high and low motions;

calculating a hand-wash score based on the hand-wash vigor;

displaying the hand-wash vigor, the total hand-wash scrubs, and the hand-wash scrubs per minute on a display;

displaying a timer that counts down based on the hand-wash vigor; and

updating the background image based on the warm-bodied object being absent from the thermal images.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the hand-wash vigor includes:

displaying a minimum vigor compliance indicator in red,

displaying a high vigor compliance indicator in yellow,

displaying a highest vigor compliance indicator in green;

or

displaying a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the hand-wash score based on the hand-wash vigor includes:

decreasing the hand-wash score based on the hand-wash vigor being estimated as a minimum vigor compliance;

increasing the hand-wash score based on the hand-wash vigor being estimated as a high vigor compliance; and

increasing the hand-wash score, based on the hand-wash vigor being estimated as a highest vigor compliance, and the increase based on the hand-wash vigor being estimated as the highest vigor compliance being faster than the hand-wash score increased based on the hand-wash vigor being estimated as the high vigor compliance.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the timer that counts down based on the hand-wash vigor includes pausing the timer when the hand-wash vigor is estimated to be below a threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a high score based on the hand-wash score for;

a prior day, a prior week, a prior month, a prior year, and all time; and

displaying the high score for;

the prior day, the prior week, the prior month, the prior year, and all time only when a full time period of the determination of the high score has elapsed.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying options to:

add a user, delete the user, view the user'"'"'s historical data, view multiple users, and view use and compliance statistics.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the total hand-wash scrubs counted for each day of a current week; and

displaying the hand-wash score calculated for each of the days of the current week.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying multiple users in rows; and

displaying a role, the hand-wash scrubs per minute, the total hand-wash scrubs, and the hand-wash score for each of the multiple users.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying statistical calculations of the hand-wash scrubs per minute, the total hand-wash scrubs, the hand-wash vigor, the hand-wash score, the timer, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the hand-wash vigor, the total hand-wash scrubs, and the hand-wash scrubs per minute, and the timer includes displaying the hand-wash vigor, the total hand-wash scrubs, and the hand-wash scrubs per minute, and the timer only after a user has been detected to be within a vicinity of a sensor.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium, useful in association with a processor, including instructions configured to:

acquire a background image;

acquire thermal images including an initial thermal image and a subsequent thermal image;

determine hot pixels of the thermal images belonging to a warm-bodied object by;

subtracting the background image from the thermal images, and

filtering out pixels of the thermal images being below a thermal threshold from the background image;

record an estimation of a user'"'"'s hand-wash motions, the user'"'"'s hand-wash motions being estimated by determining a change in the hot pixels between the initial thermal image and the subsequent thermal image;

estimate hand-wash scrubs per minute based on the user'"'"'s hand-wash motions;

count a total hand-wash scrubs based on the user'"'"'s hand-wash motions;

estimate hand-wash vigor based on a number of transitions between high and low motions;

calculate a hand-wash score based on the hand-wash vigor;

display the hand-wash vigor, the total hand-wash scrubs, and the hand-wash scrubs per minute on a display;

display a timer that counts down based on the hand-wash vigor; and

update the background image based on the warm-bodied object being absent from the thermal images.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions configured to display the hand-wash vigor includes the instructions configured to:

display a minimum vigor compliance indicator in red,

display a high vigor compliance indicator in yellow,

display a highest vigor compliance indicator in green;

or

display a combination thereof.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions configured to calculate a hand-wash score based on the hand-wash vigor includes the instructions configured to:

decrease the hand-wash score based on the hand-wash vigor being estimated as a minimum vigor compliance;

increase the hand-wash score based on the hand-wash vigor being estimated as a high vigor compliance; and

increase the hand-wash score, based on the hand-wash vigor being estimated as a highest vigor compliance, and the increase based on the hand-wash vigor being estimated as the highest vigor compliance being faster than the hand-wash score increased based on the hand-wash vigor being estimated as the high vigor compliance.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions configured to display the timer that counts down based on the hand-wash vigor includes the instructions configured to pause the timer when the hand-wash vigor is estimated to be below a threshold.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions configured to:

determine a high score based on the hand-wash score for;

a prior day, a prior week, a prior month, a prior year, and all time; and

display the high score for;

the prior day, the prior week, the prior month, the prior year, and all time only when a full time period of the determination of the high score has elapsed.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions configured to display options to:

add a user, delete the user, view the user'"'"'s historical data, view multiple users, and view use and compliance statistics.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions configured to:

display the total hand-wash scrubs counted for each day of a current week; and

display the hand-wash score calculated for each of the days of the current week.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions configured to:

display multiple users in rows; and

display a role, the hand-wash scrubs per minute, the total hand-wash scrubs, and the hand-wash score for each of the multiple users.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions configured to display statistical calculations of the hand-wash scrubs per minute, the total hand-wash scrubs, the hand-wash vigor, the hand-wash score, the timer, or a combination thereof.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions configured to display the hand-wash vigor, the total hand-wash scrubs, and the hand-wash scrubs per minute, and the timer includes displaying the hand-wash vigor, the total hand-wash scrubs, and the hand-wash scrubs per minute, and the timer only after a user has been detected to be within a vicinity of a sensor.