Hand cleanliness

• US 7,482,936 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2007
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biovigil Hygiene Technologies LLC (BioVigil Healthcare Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biovigil LLC
• Inventors: Bolling, Steven F
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass; Jeff
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAI, ANNE VIET NGA
• Application Number:
  US11/876,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20080042854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/309.7, 340/539.12, 340/286.09, 340/329, 340/286.07, 368/10
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands

Abstract

An electronic sensor is configured to be carried by a person and to be used by the person to detect a cleanliness state of the person'"'"'s hands. A single unit includes the electronic sensor and (a) a device to provide an indication of the cleanliness state of the person'"'"'s hands and/or (b) a device to identify the person. A circuit that is configured to control how long after a cleanliness state of a person'"'"'s hands has been determined to be clean, the state is presumed no longer to be clean. A badge that includes indicia identifying a person who carries the badge, a sensor to be used to detect a cleanliness state of the person'"'"'s hands, and a visible indicator to indicate to other people the cleanliness state of the person'"'"'s hands can be used in combination.

Claims

1. A method comprising

at a device worn by a person in a cleanliness-sensitive environment, electronically detecting at least a threshold concentration of a cleanliness agent on a portion of a person'"'"'s skin that has been placed in the vicinity of the device, and

using light or sound to indicate to people in the vicinity of the person if the portion of the person'"'"'s skin is not clean, based on the electronic detecting.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the detected concentration is of a vapor of the cleanliness agent.

3. The method of claim 2 in which the vapor is received in a vapor chamber of the device.

4. The method of claim 1 also including indicating if the portion of the person'"'"'s skin is clean, based on the electronic detecting.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the indication that the person'"'"'s skin is not clean is based on a passage of time after electronically detecting that the person'"'"' skin is clean.

6. The method of claim 1 also including providing from the device an identification of the person by whom the device is worn.

7. An apparatus comprising

a device worn by a person in a cleanliness-sensitive environment, the device including

an electronic detector to detect at least a threshold concentration of a cleanliness agent on a portion of a person'"'"'s skin that has been placed in the vicinity of the device, and

a light or sound indicator to indicate to people in the vicinity of the person if the portion of the person'"'"'s skin is not clean, based on the electronic detecting.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the electronic detector comprises an alcohol sensor.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the device also includes a space the person can place the portion of skin to permit the cleanliness agent to reach the detector.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 also including a vapor chamber to receive vapor of the cleanliness agent and enable it to contact the detector.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the detector comprises a heated sensor element.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 also including an element to hold the device on the person.

13. The apparatus of claim 7 also including a circuit to control how long after the threshold concentration has been detected the person'"'"'s skin is presumed no longer to be clean.