Hand cleanliness

• US 9,728,069 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2015
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biovigil Hygiene Technologies LLC (BioVigil Healthcare Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biovigil Hygiene Technologies LLC (BioVigil Healthcare Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bolling, Steven F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fan, Hongmin
• Application Number:
  US14/689,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20150228182A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/22 in combination with an identity check of the pass holder
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/26 using a biometric sensor integrated in the pass
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 23/00 Alarms responsive to unspecified undesired or abnormal conditions
• 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

Among other things, an entry monitor has circuitry to detect when a person enters a monitored space and an indicator perceptible to other people in the space to indicate a cleanliness state of the hands of the person who has entered the space.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an apparatus comprising;

an electronic sensor configured to be carried by a person and to be used by the person to detect a cleanliness state of the person'"'"'s hands,

an indicator of hand cleanliness on an exterior portion of the apparatus, and

a holder for the electronic sensor, the holder having a structure to temporarily receive an identification badge of the person; and

a monitor installed in a space, the monitor configured to communicate with the apparatus, the monitor comprising a presence detector and one or more indicators of hand cleanliness with respect to one or more people who have entered the space

wherein the one or more indicators of hand cleanliness are configured to indicate hand cleanliness only if all people in the space are believed to have disinfected hands.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitor is mounted on a wall of the space.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the monitor is mounted on a wall of the space such that at least one of the one or more indicators of hand cleanliness is visible to people outside the space.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more indicators of hand cleanliness are controlled in response to a signal from the apparatus.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the monitor is mounted on a wall of the space such that at least one of the one or more indicators of hand cleanliness is visible to people inside the space.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the monitor is a single integrated wall unit.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein a portion of the monitor that detects that a person has entered or left the space is located separated from the one or more indicators of hand cleanliness.

8. The system of claim 1 comprising monitors on the walls at all entrances to a building.

9. The system of claim 8, comprising an automated gate at each entrance configured to require that a person entering the building prove that his hands are disinfected by using the sensor.

10. A system comprising:

an apparatus comprising an electronic sensor configured to be carried by a person and to be used by the person to detect a cleanliness state of the person'"'"'s hands and an indicator of hand cleanliness on an exterior portion of the apparatus; and

a monitor installed in a space, the monitor configured to communicate with the apparatus, the monitor comprising a presence detector and one or more indicators of hand cleanliness with respect to one or more people who have entered the space;

wherein the one or more indicators of hand cleanliness are configured to indicate hand cleanliness only if all people in the space are believed to have disinfected hands.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the monitor is mounted on a wall of the space.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the monitor is mounted on a wall of the space such that at least one of the one or more indicators of hand cleanliness is visible to people outside the space.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more indicators of hand cleanliness are controlled in response to a signal from the apparatus.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the monitor is mounted on a wall of the space such that at least one of the one or more indicators of hand cleanliness is visible to people inside the space.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the monitor is a single integrated wall unit.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein a portion of the monitor that detects that a person has entered or left the space is located separated from the one or more indicators of hand cleanliness.

17. The system of claim 10 comprising monitors on the walls at all entrances to a building.

18. The system of claim 17, comprising an automated gate at each entrance configured to require that a person entering the building prove that his hands are disinfected by using the sensor.