Monitor worn by user for providing hygiene habits indication

• US 10,223,894 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2014
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyginex, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hyginex, Inc.
• Inventors: Raichman, Yossef
• Primary Examiner(s): Rushing, Mark S
• Application Number:
  US14/252,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20140320289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,786 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
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A method for analyzing hygiene habits of a user. The method comprises attaching a personal hygiene monitor to the user, using the attached personal hygiene monitor for detecting a plurality of personal hygiene events related to the user, logging the plurality of personal hygiene events to allow configuring a user hygiene profile of the user, and estimating a hygiene level of one or more hygiene habits of the user according to the user hygiene profile.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing hygiene habits of a user, comprising:

receiving, from a personal hygiene monitor attached to the user, a plurality of personal hygiene events related to the user, the plurality of personal hygiene events being based on motions detected by a sensor of the personal hygiene monitor, the sensor comprising at least one of an accelerometer or a gyroscope;

estimating a quality level of each of the plurality of personal hygiene events based on the motions detected by the sensor;

generating a user hygiene profile for the user by logging said plurality of personal hygiene events and said quality level of each of the plurality of personal hygiene events;

calculating a hygiene level of the user based on the user hygiene profile; and

ranking the hygiene level of said user in relation to hygiene levels of a plurality of users.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an alarm when said hygiene level is beyond a predefined level.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said calculating the hygiene level is based on a schedule of the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating the user hygiene profile comprises associating a time stamp with each personal hygiene event of the plurality of personal hygiene events, and wherein the method further comprises identifying at least one personal hygiene pattern according to respective said associated time stamps, and wherein said calculating the hygiene level is performed according to said at least one personal hygiene pattern.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the attached personal hygiene monitor, locational data regarding the user; and

identifying at least one personal hygiene pattern according to a combination of said locational data and at least one of said plurality of personal hygiene events, wherein said calculating the hygiene level is performed according to said at least one personal hygiene pattern.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said personal hygiene event is a member of a group consisting of:

using a disposable tissue, washing hand action, taking shower action, replacing medical safety accessory action, replacing a pair of gloves action, and wearing a face mask action.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said estimating the quality level of each of the plurality of personal hygiene events is determined by measuring a member of a group consisting of:

measuring the duration of said respective personal hygiene event, measuring the intensity of said respective personal hygiene event, measuring a concentration of at least one disinfecting agent involved in said personal hygiene event, measuring a presence of water during said personal hygiene event, measuring a humidity level during said personal hygiene event, measuring temperature during said personal hygiene event.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said logging comprises logging a presence of the user, and said calculating the hygiene level comprises estimating a hygiene level pattern based on a combination of said hygiene level and said presence.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a control signal to a barrier based on said hygiene level.

10. A wearable apparatus for analyzing hygiene habits of a user, comprising:

at least one sensor configured to detect a plurality of personal hygiene events, the plurality of personal hygiene events being based on motions detected by the at least one sensor, the sensor comprising at least one of an accelerometer or a gyroscope;

a repository configured to store said plurality of personal hygiene events; and

an interface configured to forward said plurality of personal hygiene events to a remote analysis unit, wherein said remote analysis unit is configured to;

estimate a quality level of each of the plurality of personal hygiene events based on the motions detected by the sensor;

generate a user hygiene profile for the user by logging said plurality of personal hygiene events and said quality level of each of the plurality of personal hygiene events;

calculate a hygiene level of the user based on the user hygiene profile; and

rank the hygiene level of said user in relation to hygiene levels of a plurality of users.

11. The wearable apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a wearing detector configured to detect a wearing event of the wearable apparatus, wherein each said personal hygiene event is evaluated according to said wearing event.

12. The wearable apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a second sensor configured to detect one or more second personal hygiene events, the second sensor being selected from the group consisting of:

a plurality of sensors configured to detect a different of a plurality of physical stimulations, said second sensor being configured to detect said second personal hygiene events by combining said plurality of physical stimulations;

a hygrometer configured to detect the one or more second personal hygiene events by measuring humidity in a proximity to the hands of the user;

an alcohol sensor configured to detect the one or more second personal hygiene events by measuring a concentration of alcohol vapours in a proximity to the user;

an ultrasonic Doppler sensor configured to detect the one or more second personal hygiene events by detecting running water by means of measuring Doppler Effect in a proximity to the user;

an optical sensor configured to detect the one or more second personal hygiene events by measuring a transparency of cleaning material in a proximity to the user;

an acoustical sensor configured to detect a sound of the one or more second personal hygiene events by comparing between acoustical signals captured in a proximity to the user and a predefined audio pattern;

a motion detection sensor configured to detect the one or more second personal hygiene events by recording at least one gesture of said user and matching between said at least one gesture and at least one movement pattern of a personal hygiene event; and

an touch detector sensor configured to detect a proximity of to a medical device and a processor configured to detect the one or more second personal hygiene events according to said detected proximity.

13. The wearable apparatus of claim 11, wherein said remote analysis unit is configured to:

maintain a user hygiene profile documenting at least one hygiene habit related to the user;

update said user hygiene profile according to said plurality of personal hygiene events; and

calculate said hygiene level according to said user hygiene profile.

14. The wearable apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a location detecting module configured to detect a location of the user and to log the location of the user in said repository, said remote analysis unit being configured to estimate said hygiene level according to said location.

15. The wearable apparatus of claim 14, wherein said location is outside the boundaries of a building, or wherein said location is a member of a group consisting of:

a include an operating room, a patient bed, a medical device, a physiotherapy room, a dining room, a kitchen, a production floor shop, food manufacturing area and a food manufacturing device.

18. The wearable apparatus of claim 13, wherein said wearable apparatus is configured to receive said hygiene level from said remote analysis unit, and wherein said wearable apparatus is configured further comprises a hygiene indicator configured to present said hygiene level to the user.

16. A system for analyzing hygiene habits of a plurality of users, comprising:

a plurality of personal hygiene monitors attached to a respective one of the plurality of users to allow detecting and logging a plurality of personal hygiene events related thereto, the plurality of personal hygiene events being based on motions detected by a sensor of the personal hygiene monitor, the sensor comprising at least one of a accelerometer or a gyroscope; and

a hygiene analysis unit configured to;

receive, from each of the personal hygiene monitors, the plurality of personal hygiene events related to the respective user;

estimate a quality level of each of the plurality of personal hygiene events for each of the plurality of users based on the motions detected by the sensor;

generate a user hygiene profile for each of the plurality of users by logging said plurality of personal hygiene events of each respective user and said quality level of each of the plurality of personal hygiene events of each respective user;

calculate a hygiene level of each of the plurality of users based on the user hygiene profiles; and

rank the hygiene levels of the plurality of users.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of location detecting units each being configured to detect a presence of at least one of said plurality of personal hygiene monitors in proximity thereto, wherein said hygiene analysis unit is configured to calculate said hygiene level according to the detected presence.