HYGIENE COMPLIANCE SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20130027199A1
• Filed: 12/14/2010
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itronik Interconnect Limited
• Original Assignee: Itronik Interconnect Limited
• Inventors: Bonner, James
• Granted Patent: US 9,047,755 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.11
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1217 Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• 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 hygiene compliance system comprising personnel tags each having a respective status indicator that may be set to a first value indicating hygiene compliance or to a second value indicating hygiene non-compliance. Monitors for target zones, e.g. patients'"'"' beds, detect the presence of the personnel tags at the target zone. Monitors for hygiene stations, e.g. washbasins, detect the presence of the tags at the hygiene stations. When the hygiene station monitor detects that a hygiene station has been used, the respective tag is set to the first value. The target zone monitor checks the status of tags detected in its target zone and may issue a warning if the status indicates hygiene non-compliance. When the person leaves the target zone, the target zone monitor changes the respective tag'"'"'s status to the second value.

Claims

1. A hygiene compliance system comprising

at least one personnel tag for carrying by a respective person, said at least one personnel tag being associated with a respective status indicator that is settable to a first value indicating hygiene compliance or to a second value indicating hygiene non-compliance,

at least one target zone monitoring apparatus for monitoring a respective target zone, said at least one target zone monitoring apparatus including means for detecting the presence of said at least one personnel tag at the respective target zone,

at least one hygiene station monitoring apparatus for monitoring a respective hygiene station,

wherein, upon determining that the respective hygiene station has been used, said at least one hygiene station monitoring apparatus is configured to cause the respective status indicator of the relevant personnel tag to be set to said first value,

and wherein, upon determining the presence of any one of said at least one personnel tag at said respective target zone, said target zone monitoring apparatus is configured to determine the value of the respective status indicator.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, upon determining that any one of said at least one personnel tags has left the respective target zone, the system is configured to cause the respective status indicator to be set to said second value.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein, upon determining that any one of said at least one personnel tags has left the respective target zone, the respective target zone monitoring apparatus is configured to cause the respective status indicator to be set to said second value.

4. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein, upon determining that it has left a target zone, said at least one personnel tag is configured to cause its respective status indicator to be set to said second value.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said system is configured to cause the respective status indicator of said at least one personnel tag to be set to said second value when a pre-determined time period has elapsed after said respective status indicator has been set to said first value.

6. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said at least one personnel tag is configured to cause the respective status indicator to be set to said second value when a pre-determined time period has elapsed after said respective status indicator has been set to said first value.

7. A system as claimed in claim 2, configured to delay changing the value of said status indicator from said first value to said second value for a period of time after determining that the respective personnel tag has left the target zone and, upon detecting that said respective personnel tag re-enters the same target zone within said period of time, to maintain said respective status indicator at said first value.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one hygiene station monitoring apparatus including means for detecting the presence of said at least one personnel tag at the respective hygiene station.

9. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein, upon detection of any one of said at least one tag at the respective hygiene station, said at least one hygiene station monitoring apparatus is configured to cause the respective status indicator of the detected personnel tag to be set to said first value.

10. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said at least one hygiene station monitoring apparatus comprises means for detecting the operation of the respective hygiene station, and wherein, upon detecting the operation of the respective hygiene station, said at least one hygiene station monitoring apparatus is configured to cause the respective status indicator of a detected personnel tag or other associated personnel tag to be set to said first value.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said at least one hygiene station monitoring apparatus and respective hygiene station are provided as a portable unit, suitable for carrying by a person.

12. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one target zone monitoring apparatus includes a visual display device for indicating the value of the respective status indicator of a detected personnel tag.

13. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one target zone monitoring apparatus includes an audio output device for indicating the value of the respective status indicator of a detected personnel tag.

14. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one target zone monitoring apparatus includes an alarm device for generating an alarm when the respective status indicator of a detected personnel tag is set to said second value.

15. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one target zone monitoring apparatus and said at least one personnel tag each comprises communication means, preferably wireless communication means, for communicating with one another.

16. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one hygiene station monitoring apparatus and said at least one personnel tag each comprises communication means, preferably wireless communication means, for communicating with one another.

17. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for detecting the presence of said at least one personnel tag at the respective target zone is configured to indirectly detect said at least one personnel tag by being configured to detect the presence of a person in said respective target zone.

18. A system as claimed in claim 17, wherein said presence detecting means is arranged to define a detection perimeter around said target zone and to detect a person crossing said perimeter.

19. A system as claimed in claim 17, wherein said presence detecting means comprises one or more proximity sensor and/or one or more motion sensor and/or one or more through-beam sensor.

20. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means for detecting the presence of said at least one personnel tag at the respective hygiene is configured to indirectly detect said at least one personnel tag by being configured to detect the presence of a person at said respective hygiene station.

21. A system as claimed in claim 20, wherein said presence detecting means comprises one or more proximity sensor and/or one or more motion sensor and/or one or more through-beam sensor

22. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one target zone monitoring apparatus comprises wireless transceiver, preferably an RFID device, for communicating with said at least one personnel tags and, preferably, for detecting the presence of said at least one personnel tags.

23. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one hygiene station monitoring apparatus comprises wireless transceiver, preferably an RFID device, for communicating with said at least one personnel tags and, preferably, for detecting the presence of said at least one personnel tags.

24. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one personnel tag comprises a wireless transceiver, preferably an RFID transponder.

25. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a central processing unit in communication with at least said at least one target monitoring zone and preferably arranged to maintain said status indicators.

27. A system as claimed in claim 1, comprising at least one tag incorporated into a respective washable item said at least one tag being associated with a respective status indicator that is settable to a first value indicating hygiene compliance or to a second value indicating hygiene non-compliance, said at least one tag further including a temperature sensor that, in response to detecting a temperature above a threshold temperature, is configured to cause said status indicator to be set to said first value.

28. A system as claimed in claim 27, wherein said at least one tag includes an alarm device, preferably an audio alarm device, said at least one tag including means for activating said audio alarm device in response to determining that the respective status indicator is set to said second value.

29. A system as claimed in claim 27, wherein said system is configured to set said respective status indicator to said second value after a period of time has elapsed after having been set to said first value.

26. A method of monitoring hygiene compliance in a system comprising

at least one personnel tag for carrying by a respective person, said at least one personnel tag being associated with a respective status indicator that is settable to a first value indicating hygiene compliance or to a second value indicating hygiene non-compliance,

at least one target zone monitoring apparatus for monitoring a respective target zone, said at least one target zone monitoring apparatus including means for detecting the presence of said at least one personnel tag at the respective target zone,

at least one hygiene station monitoring apparatus for monitoring a respective hygiene station,

said method comprising, upon determining that a hygiene station has been used, causing the respective status indicator of the respective personnel tag to be set to said first value, and

upon determining the presence of any one of said at least one personnel tag at said respective target zone, determining the value of the respective status indicator.