Method and system for hand washing compliance

Abstract

A method and system for user hand washing compliance is described. An exemplary embodiment of the method may comprise the steps of receiving at an entry-sensor, a first-wireless-transmission from a user-transmitter as a user enters a hand-washing-compliance-area; receiving, from the entry-sensor, a second-wireless-transmission by a temporary-controller or by at least one server, the second-wireless-transmission including an indicator that a specific user has entered the hand-washing-compliance-area; receiving a start-hand-washing-command from the user by the temporary controller or by the at least one server; receiving, by the temporary controller or by the at least one server, a first-recording by a camera of the user wetting hands under water running from the washer during the defined-first-duration; receiving, by the temporary controller or by the at least one server a second-recording by the camera of the user receiving soap from the soap-dispenser; receiving, by the temporary controller or by the at least one server, a third-recording by the camera of the user washing and receiving, by the temporary controller or by the at least one server, transmission of a hand-washing-cycle-completion-signal resulting in a completion-feedback-signal being sent back to the user; and logging, by the temporary controller or by the at least one server, at least one log entry pertaining to a given user's interactions with the method.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for user hand washing compliance, comprising the steps of:
 receiving, from the entry-sensor, a second-wireless-transmission by a temporary-controller or by at least one server, the second-wireless-transmission including an indicator that a specific user has entered the hand-washing-compliance-area based on a first-wireless-transmission from a user-transmitter as a user enters a hand-washing-compliance-area ;   receiving a start-hand-washing-command from the user by the temporary controller or by the at least one server;   receiving, by the temporary controller or by the at least one server, a first-recording by a camera of the user wetting hands under water running from the washer during the defined-first-duration;   receiving, by the temporary controller or by the at least one server a second-recording by the camera of the user receiving soap from the soap-dispenser;   receiving, by the temporary controller or by the at least one server, a third-recording by the camera of the user washing and   receiving, by the temporary controller or by the at least one server, transmission of a hand-washing-cycle-completion-signal resulting in a completion-feedback-signal being sent back to the user; and   logging, by the temporary controller or by the at least one server, at least one log entry pertaining to a given user's interactions with the method.   
     
     
         2 . The method for user hand washing compliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the first-wireless-transmission comprises transmitting a unique-user-ID associated with a particular user. 
     
     
         3 . The method for user hand washing compliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the user-transmitter is housed within and/or is in integral communication with a wrist band, an identification card, a keychain, or other similar device. 
     
     
         4 . The method for user hand washing compliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the user-transmitter is configured for wireless transmission using a wireless communication protocol selected from one or more of the group consisting of Bluetooth®, WiFi, radio frequency ID, and near field communication. 
     
     
         5 . The method for user hand washing compliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the hand-washing-compliance-area is an area wherein the area bounds a three dimensional space, wherein within the three dimensional space are defined by the entry-sensor, the washer, the camera, and the soap-dispenser. 
     
     
         6 . The method for user hand washing compliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor-transmitter is configured for wireless transmission using a wireless communication protocol selected from one or more of the group consisting of Bluetooth®, WiFi, radio frequency ID, and near field communication. 
     
     
         7 . The method for user hand washing compliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the second-wireless-transmission comprises the information logging initiation of the hand-washing-cycle, this information comprising: (1) information contained within the first-wireless-transmission; (2) a date of receiving the first-wireless-transmission; and (3) a time of receiving the first-wireless-transmission. 
     
     
         8 . The method for user hand washing compliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the step of transmitting the first-recording from the camera to the at least one server or the temporary-controller. 
     
     
         9 . The method for user hand washing compliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the step of transmitting the second-recording from the camera to the at least one server or to the temporary-controller. 
     
     
         10 . The method for user hand washing compliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the washer remains on for rinsing of the hands of soap for a defined-third-duration; wherein the defined-third-duration is a finite time period, wherein the defined-third-duration is predetermined by a third-value in the software or wherein the defined-third-duration is set by an operator of the method via an administrative area of an operator-graphical-user-interface. 
     
     
         11 . The method for user hand washing compliance according to  claim 1 , wherein when the washer is operating during the defined-third-duration, the washer outputs warm water. 
     
     
         12 . The method for user hand washing compliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the step of transmitting a feedback-signal to the user; wherein the transmitted feedback-signal is selected from emitting from one or more of the group consisting of: the user-transmitter, the entry-sensor, the camera, the washer, the soap-dispenser, a hand-dryer, the temporary-controller, and a user-computing-device. 
     
     
         13 . The method for user hand washing compliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the step of transmitting a third-wireless-transmission from the washer and sent to the at least one server or the temporary-controller. 
     
     
         14 . The method for user hand washing compliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the step of transmitting a fourth-wireless-transmission from the soap-dispenser and sent to the at least one server or the temporary-controller. 
     
     
         15 . The method for user hand washing compliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the step of transmitting a fifth-wireless-transmission from a hand-dryer and sent to the at least one server or the temporary-controller. 
     
     
         16 . The method for user hand washing compliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the camera comprises a digital-optics, a camera-receiver, a camera-transmitter, and a camera-power-source; wherein the camera-receiver is configured to receive transmissions from the at least one server, the temporary-controller, and the user-transmitter; wherein the camera-transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit a fourth-recording, the first-recording, the-second recording, the third-recording, and a sixth-wireless-transmission; and wherein the camera-power-source is configured to provide electrical power to the digital-optics, the camera-receiver and to the camera-transmitter. 
     
     
         17 . The method for user hand washing compliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the temporary-controller is in wireless communication with one or more of the group consisting of: the user-transmitter, the entry-sensor, the washer, the soap-dispenser, the camera, the at least one server via an intermediary network, a hand-dryer, an operator-computing-device, a user-computing-device, and a wireless-router. 
     
     
         18 . A method for user hand washing compliance, comprising the steps of:
 (1) receiving a request from a user to enter a hand-washing-compliancearea, wherein the request is received by an entry-sensor;   (2) optionally releasing water from a washer for pre-rinsing hands of the user;   (3) releasing soap from a soap-dispenser for soaping the hands of the user;   (4) releasing water from the washer to rinse the soaped hands of the user; and   (5) optionally providing a means-to-dry-hands from a hand-dryer for drying the hands of the user;   wherein the user initiates each step with a user-transmitter and/or with defined-hand-gestures before a gesture-recognition-camera;   wherein upon the user initiating each step, the gesture-recognition-camera records each step; and   wherein at least one server receives said recordings and validates each step.   
     
     
         19 . The method for user hand washing compliance according to  claim 18 , wherein the user initiating each step occurs by the user bringing the user-transmitter within sufficient proximity to the entry-sensor, the washer, the soap-dispenser, and/or the hand-dryer; or the user initiating each step occurs by the user making appropriate hand-gestures at appropriate locations. 
     
     
         20 . A method for user hand washing compliance, comprising the steps of:
 receiving at an entry-sensor, a first-wireless-transmission from a user-transmitter, the user-transmitter being integral to a wrist-band or an identification-card, the user-transmitter being maintained with a user, enters a hand-washing-compliance-area;   receiving, from the entry-sensor, a second-wireless-transmission by a temporary-controller or by at least one server, the second-wireless-transmission including an indicator that a specific user has entered the hand-washing-compliance-area;   receiving a start-hand-washing-command from the user by the temporary controller or by the at least one server;   receiving, by the temporary controller or by the at least one server, a first-recording by a camera of the user wetting hands under water running from the washer during the defined-first-duration;   receiving, by the temporary controller or by the at least one server a second-recording by the camera of the user receiving soap from the soap-dispenser;   receiving, by the temporary controller or by the at least one server, a third-recording by the camera of the user washing and   receiving, by the temporary controller or by the at least one server, transmission of a hand-washing-cycle-completion-signal resulting in a completion-feedback-signal being sent back to the user; and   logging, by the temporary controller or by the at least one server, at least one log entry pertaining to a given user's interactions with the method.