Abstract:
A system, method, and apparatus for preventing one with dirty hands from entering or exiting an area without first using a hand washing system. Typical uses would be in hospitals, where patients are endangered by health care workers who may propagate microorganisms and thus illness from patient to patient. The subject technology seeks to stop one from passing by having a barrier block passage. Overrides for bypass system on an emergency basis or when hands are otherwise necessarily occupied, such as in carrying a tray or other objects. Sensors detect presence of obstructions in the movement of the barrier. Further, the barrier may be broken should an emergency arise. Current implementation presumes that one&#39;s hands are dirty, and thus entry or exit is initially. Once hand washing has occurred, then entry or exit is allowed.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Priority is claimed for provisional application Ser. No. 61/717,921, filing date 24 Oct. 2012, entitled Hand Hygiene System. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The subject technology is in the technical field of hand sanitation assurance and enforcement for protection against contamination, as well as systems, methods, and apparatus making use thereof. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    Hand washing is widely recognized as the primary critical procedure for preventing health care associated infections. Transient microorganisms may reside on hands, being picked up from others, from surfaces, from tools, or from the air. Thus, they can be spread. For people who are already debilitated because of another injury or infection, the introduction of additional microorganisms may cause further damage and may very well kill. 
         [0006]    Although common practice today requires the use of gloves to mitigate the spread of microorganisms from person to patient, hand washing remains critical. Indeed, the use of gloves introduces another possible transmission and receiving medium for microorganisms, as gloves must still come into contact with hands as gloves are donned, used, and doffed. 
         [0007]    Consider the normal case of a person who works in a health care institution, and who has one or more patients to serve. Service may be medical, a simple delivery of food, delivery of mail, personal hygiene care, simply a visit to check on well-being, social visit, and many other possibilities where one person comes in contact with another. 
         [0008]    The hands of such a person in a care giving role should be washed frequently, and always before or after certain events. These events include:
       At the start and finish of the person&#39;s shift and breaks;   Before and after any direct contact with the patient, with special care required for patients with suppressed immunities;   Between procedures performed on the same patient;   Before and after contact with invasive devices that may come into contact with microorganisms, such as catheters, respiratory equipment;   After contact with body substances, such as blood;   After handling soiled equipment, clothing or bed linen;   After the removal of gloves;   Before and after personal activities, including toilet use, eating, food handling, coughing, and sneezing.       
 
         [0017]    A taxonomy of health care hand washing includes at least social, clinical, and surgical washing. Each requires a different degree of comprehensiveness and resulting cleanliness. Social hand washing is that which is sufficient prior to or following non-invasive social contact. Soap and water are generally sufficient, with care taken not to re-contaminate the hands through post-washing touches of sink handles, soap dispensers, towel dispensers, and other surfaces. Social washing is generally sufficient after a cough or sneeze, before and after meals, and certainly after toilet use. A clinical hand wash is much more rigorous, and is used before and after procedures where the patient is being served in relative isolation. Anti-microbial soap with an antiseptic agent is normally required for clinical hand washing. Surgical hand washing is the most rigorous, as it is required before and after very invasive procedures which of course include surgery. Anti-microbial cleansers with more power agents that used in clinical hand washing are required. 
         [0018]    Hand sanitizers are in wide use today and are useful for social and some clinical use where contact with a patient is direct but non-invasive. Typical protocol consists essentially of the following when in the presence of a patient:
       1. Wash before touching a patient   2. Wash before any clean or aseptic procedure   3. Wash risk of exposure to bodily fluids   4. Wash after touching a patient   5. Wash after touching patient surroundings       
 
         [0024]    A significant risk of harm can be mitigated by adding a step at entry to, and another step at exit from, an area where the patient resides, and applied as an envelope around the typical protocol mentioned above. The resulting protocol is then as follows:
       1. Wash hands before entry, to mitigate bringing microorganisms into the area   2. Wash before touching a patient   3. Wash before any clean or aseptic procedure   4. Wash after risk of exposure to bodily fluids   5. Wash after touching a patient   6. Wash after touching patient surroundings   7. Wash hands before exit, to mitigate bringing microorganisms outside of the area       
 
         [0032]    The subject technology is a method, system, and apparatus for preventing a person with dirty hands from engaging in activity that may put others in danger. Typical uses would be in hospitals, where patients would be endangered by health care workers who may propagate illness from patient to patient. However, unlike other systems that merely warn or sound an alarm when a person fails to wash hands, the subject technology seeks to stop the person from proceeding with contact by having a barrier block passage. The other systems may even warn or sound an alarm in such a way that only the person whose hands should be washed will know. The subject technology is patient centric, and does not rely on the person to perceive a warning or to act upon it. Furthermore, the patient and others may see entry and exit, and whether hands were washed. The proposed system acts to deter entry or exit, and thus ensures that the person&#39;s attention is alerted and that a patient to be served is protected. Overrides allow the care giver to bypass the system on an emergency basis or when hands are otherwise necessarily occupied, such as in carrying a tray or other objects. 
         [0033]    Current implementation of the subject technology presumes that the person&#39;s hands are dirty, and thus entry or exit is denied from the start. Once hand washing has occurred, then entry or exit is allowed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0034]      FIG. 1  shows the subject technology from a front view. 
           [0035]      FIG. 2  shows the subject technology from a side view. 
           [0036]      FIG. 3A  is a perspective view, with a barrier tending to prevent passage. 
           [0037]      FIG. 3B  is a perspective view, with the barrier tending to allow passage. 
           [0038]      FIG. 4  shows a range of motion of the barrier in preventing or allowing passage, and flexibility in placement of the subject technology. 
           [0039]      FIG. 5  provides shows controls, graphics, and indicators. 
           [0040]      FIG. 6  shows an interior view of one element of the subject technology. 
           [0041]      FIG. 7  is a state diagram for the subject technology. 
           [0042]      FIG. 8  is a flowchart for one manner of operation of the subject technology. 
           [0043]      FIG. 9  is a schematic of electrical control. 
           [0044]      FIG. 10  is a schematic of control at the barrier. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0045]      
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Reference Numbers 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 100 
                 hand hygiene device 
               
               
                 102 
                 arm 
               
               
                 104 
                 reservoir 
               
               
                 106 
                 fill tube 
               
               
                 108 
                 fill port 
               
               
                 110 
                 body 
               
               
                 112 
                 hub 
               
               
                 114 
                 release latch 
               
               
                 116 
                 bracket 
               
               
                 118 
                 estop switch 
               
               
                 120 
                 dispense-only switch 
               
               
                 122 
                 indicators 
               
               
                 124 
                 proximity sensors 
               
               
                 126 
                 dispense port 
               
               
                 128 
                 motion sensor 
               
               
                 132 
                 range 
               
               
                 150 
                 graphic 
               
               
                 152 
                 dispense tube 
               
               
                 154 
                 trap 
               
               
                 156 
                 group selector 
               
               
                 200 
                 state diagram 
               
               
                 202 
                 arm-off 
               
               
                 204 
                 arm-down 
               
               
                 206 
                 arm-move-up 
               
               
                 208 
                 arm-up 
               
               
                 210 
                 arm-move-down 
               
               
                 212 
                 sleep 
               
               
                 214 
                 dispense 
               
               
                 216 
                 clean-up 
               
               
                   
                 (events) 
               
               
                 2001 
                 arm-removed 
               
               
                 2002 
                 arm-attached 
               
               
                 2003 
                 arm-horizontal 
               
               
                 2004 
                 estop-or-proximity 
               
               
                 2005 
                 switch-active 
               
               
                 2006 
                 no-estop-or-no-proximity-or-timeout 
               
               
                 2007 
                 proximity-and-more-than-zero-group-count 
               
               
                 2008 
                 group-count-zero 
               
               
                 2009 
                 timeout 
               
               
                 2010 
                 wake-up 
               
               
                 2012 
                 clean-up-done 
               
               
                 300 
                 flow chart 
               
               
                 302 
                 start 
               
               
                 304 
                 detect arm position 
               
               
                 306 
                 check latch engaged 
               
               
                 308 
                 engage arm and set light pattern a 
               
               
                 310 
                 obstruction detected 
               
               
                 312 
                 estop pressed 
               
               
                 314 
                 set light pattern b 
               
               
                 316 
                 hand detected 
               
               
                 318 
                 hand-free 
               
               
                 320 
                 set reminder, set light pattern d 
               
               
                 322 
                 disengage arm 
               
               
                 324 
                 wait 
               
               
                 326 
                 estop un-pressed 
               
               
                 328 
                 dispense only 
               
               
                 330 
                 dtermine group count 
               
               
                 336 
                 detect passage 
               
               
                 338 
                 sanitize hands 
               
               
                 340 
                 sanitize hands 
               
               
                 342 
                 more hands to sanitize 
               
               
                 344 
                 set light pattern c 
               
               
                 346 
                 timeout 
               
               
                 400 
                 electrical control 
               
               
                 402 
                 electrical controller 
               
               
                 404 
                 reservoir lighting 
               
               
                 406 
                 power 
               
               
                 408 
                 pump interface 
               
               
                 410 
                 arm motor 
               
               
                 412 
                 arm communication and power port 
               
               
                 500 
                 arm control 
               
               
                 502 
                 arm controller 
               
               
                 506 
                 wireless interface 
               
               
                 508 
                 accelerometer 
               
               
                 510 
                 proximity sensors 
               
               
                 512 
                 obstruction sensors 
               
               
                 514 
                 approaching object sensors 
               
               
                 516 
                 lighting array 
               
               
                 518 
                 estop switch interface 
               
               
                 520 
                 dispense-only switch interface 
               
               
                 522 
                 group selector interface 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0046]      FIG. 1  shows a front view of the hand hygiene device  100 , comprising a body  110 , a reservoir  104  attached to the body  110 , an arm  102  that rotates about a hub  112 , the hub  112  attached to the body  110 , a release latch  114  for releasing the arm  102 , a fill tube  106 , and a fill tube port  108 . The reservoir  104  would contain sanitizing fluid to be used for sanitation. It would be transparent or otherwise configured so that one may see the level of fluid in the reservoir  104 . Fluid would enter the reservoir  104  through the fill tube port  108  and the fill tube  106 , and would be dispensed through the arm  102 . A bracket  116  is attached to the body  110  so that the hand hygiene device  100  may be attached to a wall or other structure so as to manage passage of care givers into or out of an area. The arm  102  is shown in position to block passage, which is normal position. The arm  102  is easily breakable, as may be required in an emergency. And, the arm  102  is easily released via the release latch  114 , also as required in an emergency. 
         [0047]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the hand hygiene device  100 , with the arm  102  in blocking position, although not easily seen in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0048]      FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of the hand hygiene device  100 , again with the arm  102  in blocking position. 
         [0049]      FIG. 3B , however, is a perspective view showing the arm  102  in position to allows passage. 
         [0050]      FIG. 4  shows a range  132  of motion for the arm  102 , thus allowing the hand hygiene device  100  to be placed to left, right, center, top, and other locations with respect to a passage way. The range  132  of motion allows the arm  102  to be positioned as required to block or allow passage, based on placement of the hand hygiene device  100 . 
         [0051]      FIG. 5  shows additional detail of the arm  102  exterior. An estop switch  118  is deployed allowing passage on an emergency basis. The estop switch  118  is used to move the arm  102  to allow passage without regard to hand washing events. Once the emergency passes, then the arm  102  is returned to normal, blocking position. 
         [0052]    A dispense-only switch  120  allows a care giver to sanitize hands while the arm  102  is in blocking position, as may be required during care giving procedures after the care giver attained passage. An array of indicators  122 , which may be light emitting diode (LED) or other illuminators direct the care giver where to place hands in order to receive sanitizing. Further, the array of indicators  122  may be capable of displaying various colors and in various arrangements to display a variety of messages to the care giver. An array of proximity sensors  124  detect the presence of an object, such as an hand, an obstruction, or people passing close by. To allow an enumerated group to pass, a care giver may use a group selector  156  to indicate how many individuals would be allowed to pass once the arm  102  is positioned to allow passage. In such case, the hand hygiene device  100  will count the number of individuals and the arm  102  will return to normal, blocking position after the count. Sanitizing fluid would be pumped from the reservoir  104  and through the arm  102 , to be dispensed at a dispense port  126  on the arm  102 . 
         [0053]      FIG. 6  is an interior view of the arm  102  showing a dispense tube  152  which provides a channel through which sanitizing fluid passes through the arm to the dispense port  126 . A trap  154  is provided before the dispense port  126  in order to prevent dripping of sanitizing fluid that remains in the dispense tube  152 . 
         [0054]      FIG. 7  is a state diagram  200  that shows various operational states of the hand hygiene device  100 . The states include arm-off  202 , arm-down  204 , arm-move-up  206 , arm-up  208 , arm-move-down  210 , sleep  212 , dispense  214 , and clean-up  216 . The states and positions of the arm  102  are all relative. That is to say, whether a particular state or position is blocking or allowing passage depends on other information. Various events cause transitions from state to state. The hand hygiene device  100  is normally in sleep  212  state, to conserve energy. Upon a wake-up  2010  event, the transition is to arm-down  204 . Transition from arm-down  204  may be to sleep  212 , dispense  214 , arm-off  202 , or arm-move-up  206  according to the events shown in  FIG. 7 . Arm-move-up  206  is a transitory state indicating that the arm  102  is in motion. In addition to arrival at arm-move-up  206  via the arm-down  204  state, arrival may be via arm-move-down  210  and clean-up  216  states. Subsequent states to arm-move-up  206  include arm-up  208  and arm-off  202 . From arm-up  208  state, two transitions may occur: to arm-move-down  210 , which is a another transitory state; or to arm-off  202 . From arm-move-down  210 , possible transitions include arm-move-up  206 , arm-down  204 , and arm-off  202 . Dispense  214  causes sanitizer to be dispensed. The subsequent state is clean-up  216 , which causes sanitizing fluid to be partially sucked back into the dispense tube  152  to prevent dripping. Various transitions, as shown, account for arm-removed  2001 , arm-attached  2002 , arm-horizontal  2003 , estop-or-proximity  2004  (indicating that estop switch was pressed or that a care giver has approached and used hands-free proximity sensor to gain entrance without dispensing), switch-active  2005 , no-estop-or-no-proximity-or-timeout  2006 , proximity-and-more-than-one-group-count  2007  (a group is passing and care givers are present, but the not all of the selected count have passed by), group-count-zero  2008  (meaning all in the enumerated group have passed by), timeout  2009 , and clean-up-done  2012 . 
         [0055]      FIG. 8  comprises a flowchart  300  of various operations and checks. This particular implementation contemplates an array of lights as indicators, to be set to various patterns to convey different information. Indicators  122  are one such implementation of lights. For discussion purposes, these light patterns are designated a through d. From start  302 , the hand hygiene device  100  must determine arm position  304 , and check latch engaged  306 . Upon check latch engaged  306  being “yes,” the next operation is engage arm and set light pattern a  308 . If no obstruction detected  310 , then further check is made for estop pressed  312 . If so, flow continues to set light pattern b  314 , disengage arm  322 , and wait  324  for estop un-pressed  326 . Upon estop un-pressed  326 , control continues back to engage arm and set light pattern a  308 . If, at obstruction detected  310 , an obstruction is present, then control flows to disengage arm  322 , followed by wait  324  through detect passage  336  or timeout  346 . Upon detect passage  336  or timeout  346 , control continues back to engage arm and set light pattern a  308 . 
         [0056]    Suppose, at the test for estop pressed  312 , the determination is “no.” Control then flows to hand detected  316 . From there, two control threads are possible. One includes a test for hand-free  318 , which, if true, then proceeds to set reminder and set light pattern d  320  (to remind the care giver to sanitize hands), disengage arm  322 , and proceed through wait  324 , detect passage  336 , and timeout  346  before returning to engage arm and set light pattern a  308 . 
         [0057]    Hands free operation raises the arm  102  without regard to hand washing events, but does so for a short period. Hands free operation may be initiated by the estop switch  118 , and tested at estop pressed  312 . This would also be used when a person is carrying a tray or some other object and cannot wash hands while holding the tray or object. 
         [0058]    If hand-free  318  is not “yes”, then control flows to determine group count  330  and sanitize hands  340  for each care giver according to the count. The other thread includes a test for dispense only  328 , which, if true, leads to sanitize hands  338  and, regardless, back to engage arm and set light pattern a  308 . 
         [0059]      FIG. 9  shows electrical control  400 , comprising an electrical controller  402 , power  406 , reservoir lighting  404 , arm communication and power port  412 , arm motor  410 , and pump interface  408 . The electrical controller  402  is typically a microprocessor or other programmed controlled device, programmed to manage the states and flow control of the hand hygiene device  100 . Power  406  includes battery pack, typically chargeable, and electrical current from normal building sources such as wall outlets. The reservoir lighting  404  has aesthetic purpose as well as illuminating the reservoir  103  so that one may easily see the level of the fluid inside. The arm communication and power port  412  is a conduit for communication and electrical current to the arm  102 , via the arm control  500  in  FIG. 10 . The arm motor  410  controls the various positions of the arm  102 , as directed by the electrical controller  302 . The pump interface  408  manages a pump that delivers sanitizing fluid from the reservoir  103  to the arm  102 , via the dispense tube  152 , trap  154 , and dispense port  126  shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0060]      FIG. 10 , arm control  500 , shows an arm controller  502 , the arm communication and power port  412  from  FIG. 9 , wireless interface  506 , accelerometer  508 , proximity sensors  510 , obstruction sensors  512 , approaching object sensors  514 , lighting array  516 , estop switch interface  518 , dispense-only switch interface  520 , and group selector interface  522 . Wireless interface  506  provides a means to provision the hand hygiene device  100  and to retrieve information from it wirelessly. The accelerometer  508  provides position and motion information concerning the arm  102 , so that arm  102  position, speed, direction, and other such aspects may be controlled. Proximity sensors  510  detect hands close to the arm  102  for dispensing sanitizing fluid. Proximity sensors  510  are also used for determining hands free entry: when set for hands free operation, then the presence of a hand will raise the arm  102  without requiring dispensing. Proximity sensors  510  are also used to count care givers as they pass by, with the arm  102  raised, when the hand hygiene device  100  is set to allow a group to pass. Approaching object sensors  514  detect care givers as they approach the hand hygiene device  100 . Obstruction sensors  510  are deployed so as to detect an object in the path of the arm  102 . The lighting array  516  serves various purposes, as discussed previously. The estop switch interface  518 , dispense switch interface  520 , and group selector interface  522  convey information about the particular, respective switch setting back to the electric controller  402  via the arm communication and power port  412 . 
         [0061]    In all modes of operation, the hand hygiene device  100  is operational from front or back, and thus a single deployment may manage passage to and from a given area. 
         [0000]    Various additional embodiments of the hand hygiene device include, without limitation:
       1. Use of commercially available reservoirs, attachable in place of the reservoir discussed here.   2. Attachment to a doorway or to a movable platform not attached to a doorway.   3. Remote dispensing from a reservoir that is located away from the body and arm, but connected with conduits for fluid.   4. Use of non-fluid sanitizing means, such as forms of light, gasses, and other methods   5. Holographic arm or other display.   6. Remote dispensing from a reservoir that is located at the body and arm, but connected with conduits for fluid to nearby local satellite dispensers in the particular area, such as bedside; each satellite dispenser not being association with passage to or from the area.       
 
         [0068]    While the foregoing written description of the hand hygiene device enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The subject technology presented here should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiments, methods, or examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the subject technology.