Hygiene monitoring system

• US 9,911,312 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2017
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Wildman, Timothy D., Gallant, Dennis J., Hausman, Phillip J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US15/628,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20170280949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 258 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2005/1218 Table mounted; Dispensers integrated with the mixing tap
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• 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 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/80 for detecting, monitoring or modelling epidemics or pandemics, e.g. flu
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

A system and method is provided for monitoring hygiene compliance.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring hygiene compliance, the system comprising

a plurality of first sensors operable to monitor a location of caregivers in a facility;

a computer receiving location information regarding the location of the caregivers in the facility; and

a plurality of second sensors operable to sense hand washes by the caregivers, the computer receiving handwashing information regarding the hand washes, wherein the computer is operable to keep track of periods of time the caregivers spend in each location of the facility monitored by the plurality of first sensors, wherein the computer determines hand washing compliance by correlating hand washes with a threshold amount of time within which each caregiver enters or exits each location, wherein the threshold amount of time varies depending upon a particular class of each caregiver of the monitored caregivers.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further operable to update status information associated with each caregiver to indicate that the caregiver is compliant if the computer determines that the period of time the caregiver has remained in a current location after handwashing is less than an exit time associated with the current location.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further operable to update status information associated with each caregiver to indicate that the caregiver is compliant if the computer determines that the period of time the caregiver has remained in a current location after handwashing is greater than an exit time associated with the current location but is less than an exposure time associated with the current location.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further operable to update status information associated with each caregiver to indicate that the caregiver is compliant if the computer determines that the period of time the caregiver has remained in a current location after handwashing is less than an exit time associated with the current location but is greater than an exposure time associated with the current location.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further operable to update status information associated with each caregiver to indicate that the caregiver is not compliant if the computer determines that the period of time the caregiver has remained in a current location after handwashing is greater than an exit time associated with the current location and is greater than an exposure time associated with the current location.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of alert indicators, at least some of the plurality of alert indicators being located in proximity to a respective second sensor of the plurality of second sensors.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein each alert indicator is configured to display text messages relating to handwashing compliance of the caregivers.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein each alert indicator is configured to display a visual indicator relating to a handwashing policy of the facility.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein at least some of the plurality of alert indicators are coupled to a respective patient bed of a plurality of patient beds.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein at least some of the plurality of alert indicators are located on a wall of a respective room.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising badges worn by the caregivers, the badges being operable to communicate with each sensor of the plurality of first sensors.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the badges each include a first receiver to receive wireless signals.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first receiver of the badges receive wireless signals of a type different than those that are transmitted by the badges.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the badges transmit radio frequency (RF) signals and/or infrared (IR) signals.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein each sensor of the second plurality of sensors is associated with a respective sink.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein each sensor of the second plurality of sensors is associated with a respective faucet.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein each sensor of the second plurality of sensors is associated with a respective dispenser.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the respective dispensers comprises a towelette dispenser.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the respective dispensers comprises an alcohol dispenser.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the respective dispensers dispenses a hand sanitizer substance.