Infection control monitoring system

Abstract

The invention provides an automated hand hygiene / infection control monitoring sensor-based system suitable for improving hand hygiene and multiple infection control measures and ensuring compliance by health care workers as well as visitors to hospitals and clinics. The use of biometric identification devices such as cameras for face recognition and profiling, microphones for voice recognition, etc. permit highly accurate identification without the use of removable identification devices such as identification badges which may include bar codes, magnetic strips or wireless devices such as RFIDS. Identification badges are removable and hence susceptible to being lost, misplaced, etc. Visitors are typically not assigned identification badges and hence enforcement of hand hygiene policies is minimal. Additional applications include reducing food contamination in food industry, the spread of diseases in schools, in businesses, in corporations and governmental facilities and public access facilities such as public restrooms, dining areas and transportation.

Description

[0001]This is a continuation of the provisional application Ser. No. 61 / 848,430 filed on Jan. 4, 2013.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention describes an automated hand hygiene / infection control monitoring sensor-based system suitable for improving hand hygiene and multiple infection control measures and ensuring compliance by health care workers as well as visitors to hospitals and clinics. Additional applications include reducing food contamination in food industry, the spread of diseases in schools, in businesses, in corporations and governmental agencies as well as lessening the risk of infection amongst the public via commonly used public restrooms, dining areas, transportation, etc.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Hand hygiene (such as hand washing) is a simple but highly effective method for controlling the spread of infectious diseases in a health care setting, in food preparation settings, as well as any area (public or private) where multiple persons access a common re...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0004]The invention utilizes developments in tracking and identification software and hardware to implement an automated hand hygiene / infection control monitoring sensor-based system to improve hand hygiene and multiple infection control measures and ensure compliance for all individuals entering the monitored environments. Additional benefits may include a reduction in criminal acts committed by employees and / or visitors. This invention offers a monitoring system that can be employed in order to encourage greater compliance rates in utilizing infection control techniques (most notably hand hygiene techniques such as hand washing) in various settings, using facial recognition (and / or other identification techniques) to track and verify individuals. The monitoring system can be comprised of separate components that are electronically linked or the components can be integrated into a single monitoring unit such as a box or other suitable protective container. The monitoring system can be integrated with other sensor devices (for example, video cameras, motion sensors, etc.) already employed to monitor a space. Although a monitoring box can incorporate data processing hardware, software and storage it can also incorporate an electronic communications link (wired or wireless) to a computer for data post-processing, storage, verification and display. The monitoring box or unit is typically mounted on or next to an exit / entry point to the monitored environment or at relevant locations within the monitored environment (for example, next to a sink). It physically incorporates or electronically incorporates (is linked to) one or more of the following tracking and recognition capabilities: a motion detector device (including, but not limited to, acoustic or electromagnetic sensors), an identification device including at least one biometric identification device such as a camera for face recognition and profile (with optional video capability or a separate camera for video), a biometric reader such as a finger print reader (including an infrared finger print reader), palm print reader, a microphone for voice recognition, chemical sensors, etc. Optional non-biometric identification devices may include a wireless electronic identification device such as a wireless RFID reader, a badge reader or scanner, a touch pad, a touch screen, a key board, a virtual keyboard (including an infrared keyboard), etc. Furthermore the monitoring unit incorporates a holographic or conventional display screen (which may have touch screen capability) for visual automated and interactive instructions and a speaker for verbal automated and interactive instructions. In addition, cameras or other recognition devices can be used to recognize gestures (including hand waving); capabilities already incorporated into electronic gaming units (for example, “leap motion”). These input devices permit the individual to lookup information, contact individuals within the hospital, request assistance, request maintenance, enter access codes, by-pass the monitoring unit protocols, enter instructions for personnel, etc.

[0008]Entrance and exit from a room can be controlled by securing the door as well as by compliance mechanisms such as visual or auditory alerts and / or an incentive-based program that uses rewards or penalties. An incentive-based program can be implemented for employees as well as visitors / the public (for example, a reduced parking fee, cafeteria billing or gift shop billing for a visitor). Thus, an incentive program can be coordinated with other hospital-related services. The incentive program can be used to motivate visitors and employees to participate in the identification process. Employees and / or visitors will be informed that they will be compensated for enrolling in and complying with the hand hygiene program. Implementation of a monitoring system is particularly straightforward if employees or visitors can be identified and registered within the system prior to entering the room. One or more recognition capabilities such as facial recognition (visual, infrared), physical metrics (a profile or physical appearance such as height, hair color, etc.), voice recognition or other biometrics are commonly used in security surveillance as well as customer recognition. By employing this technology one can overcome several limitations of identification badges (which may utilize bar codes, magnetic strips or RFIDs) since identification badges can be removed, misplaced, damaged, etc.). In hospitals, clinics, commercial and public facilities (restaurant, school, factory, etc.) a monitoring system can be used to register employees (and visitors) by recording their relevant identification metrics such as face, physical parameters (profile), voice and other biometric parameters which can be stored in a local database or central database (updated as frequently as is deemed prudent such as instantly, hourly, daily, weekly, etc.). Incentive measures can be implemented to encourage participation. Optionally, prior employees' identification metrics can be retained in the data base.

[0009]A monitoring system can be used to register visitors into the data base when they enter the facility at a control point or location or registration can be dispersed (entering a parking lot, at a cafeteria, a gift shop, a pharmacy, a restroom, a waiting room, etc. If an individual can provide a credit card or similar financial tool when registering then the individual's financial transactions can be automated such as parking payments, purchases at the pharmacy, gift shop, cafeteria, vending machines, insurance co-payments, etc. When used only for registration purposes a monitoring system can exclude (or disable) features such as a motion sensor. Registration can be automated or supervised by a trained individual. It is a simple process to use these employee or visitor identification metrics to verify all individuals that enter or leave a compliance monitored environment and request compliance with hand washing or other infection control steps. Implementation of a monitoring system also represents a means to discourage unauthorized individuals from entering the area (thus the hand hygiene system can communicate data such as live video to a facility's security system whether or not the unauthorized individual washes their hands).

Problems solved by technology

Compliance by individuals, despite the prolific use of warning signs and admonitions from authorities or peers has always been problematic.

The use of removable employee identification which incorporates RFID tags or other wireless identification devices has a limitation in that the identification device can be removed (misplaced, left with other clothes, left in the car, used by a different person, etc.) Notably, in hospitals, convincing visitors to wash their hands has had very limited success due to the implication that the hospital must be unclean.

Current RFID-based, automated compliance systems used in hospitals do not effectively address the issue of visitors and hand hygiene such as hand washing.

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