Systems and Methods for Providing Hand Washing and Sanitizing Alerts

• US 20130229276A1
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Desiree Hunter
• Original Assignee: Desiree Hunter
• Inventors: Hunter, Desiree
• Application Number:
  US13/599,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20130229276A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/501
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure can include systems, methods, and apparatus for providing hand washing and sanitizing alerts. Certain embodiments of the disclosure can improve hand hygiene by pairing an alert with the action of cleansing. In one embodiment, a method for providing hand washing and sanitizing alerts can be provided. The method can include generating an alert based at least in part on detecting a person entering or exiting an area. The method can further include ceasing the alert based at least in part on detecting the person sanitizing his or her hands.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

based at least in part on detecting a person entering or exiting an area, generating an alert; and

based at least in part on detecting the person sanitizing his or her hands, ceasing the alert.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting a person entering or exiting an area comprises receiving a signal from at least one of the following:

a motion sensor, a face detector, an identification device reader, or a thermal sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting the person sanitizing his or her hands comprises receiving a signal from at least one of the following:

a hand sanitizer device, a hand sanitizing gel dispenser device, a soap dispenser device, a faucet, or a sink.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the area comprises at least one of the following:

a room, an operating room, a patient room, a laboratory, a kitchen, a testing room, or a building.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert comprises at least one of the following:

an audible sound, a light, a visual cue, or a tactile cue.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the alert further comprises delaying the alert for a predefined amount of time.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein upon detecting the person sanitizing his or her hands before the predefined amount of time, the alert is undetected by the person.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based at least in part on not detecting the person sanitizing his or her hands, maintaining the alert for a predefined amount of time.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a counter operable to track a number of times any person sanitizes his or her hands, or initiating a timer operable to track a time any person sanitizes his or her hands.

10. A system comprising:

at least one sanitizer device;

at least one sensor;

at least one alert device; and

at least one processor operable to execute computer-executable instructions stored in a memory device, the instructions operable to;

based at least in part on detecting, via the at least one sensor, a person entering or exiting an area, generate an alert; and

based at least in part on detecting, via the at least one sanitizer device, the person sanitizing his or her hands, cease the alert.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of the following:

a motion sensor, a face detector, an identification device reader, or a thermal sensor.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one sanitizer device comprises at least one of the following:

a hand sanitizer device, a soap dispenser device, a faucet, or a sink.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the area comprises at least one of the following:

a room, an operating room, a patient room, a laboratory, a kitchen, a testing room, or a building.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the alert comprises at least one of the following:

an audible sound, a light, a visual cue, or a tactile cue.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions operable to generate the alert further comprise instructions operable to delay the alert for a predefined amount of time.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions are further operable to detect the person sanitizing his or her hands within the predefined amount of time, and cease the alert before the alert is detected by the person.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions further comprise:

based at least in part on not detecting the person sanitizing his or her hands, maintain the alert for a predefined amount of time.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions further comprise:

initiate a counter operable to track a number of times any person sanitizes his or her hands, or initiate a timer operable to track a time any person sanitizes his or her hands.

19. One or more computer readable media comprising computer-executable instructions stored in a memory for execution by at least one processor, the instructions operable to:

based at least in part on detecting, via at least one sensor, a person entering or exiting an area, generate an alert;

based at least in part on detecting, via at least one sanitizer device, the person sanitizing his or her hands, cease the alert.

20. The one or more computer readable media further comprising instructions operable to:

delay the alert for a predefined amount of time; and

based at least in part on detecting, via the at least one sanitizer device, the person sanitizing his or her hands within the predefined amount of time, cease the alert before the alert is detected by the person.