Object decontamination and decontamination monitoring device

Abstract

The invention relates to a decontamination control system for a facility comprising at least one sensitive area (L), including: - a decontamination unit (D1); - at least one badge (I) with an NFC tag, and / or at least one object (T) bearing an NFC tag; - a first clock (H1) for the decontamination unit (D1); - a terminal (S) at the entrance of said area (L), comprising an NFC reader and a second clock (H2) synchronized with the first. According to the invention, the system activates the decontamination unit (D1) when said badge (I) is affixed to it and / or said object (T) is inserted into it, and writes the corresponding timestamp to said NFC tag; then authorizes entry (E) into said area (L) if a first delay (A) between the timestamp and the reading on the terminal (S) is less than a second threshold delay (B); otherwise, the system prohibits said entry (E). Abstract figure: Fig. 2

Description

Title of the invention: Device for decontaminating objects and monitoring decontamination

[0001] The present description is derived from the following observation.

[0002] Various objects carried by hospital staff, such as mobile phones, watches, keychains, jewelry, are contaminated and follow these people into sensitive areas, such as operating rooms.

[0003] Numerous publications confirm that these objects are contaminated by a wide variety of pathogenic germs and viruses, resulting in the emergence of nosocomial diseases.

[0004] To combat this phenomenon, the remedy would be to prohibit the introduction of these objects into sensitive premises.

[0005] It seems, however, that some of these objects, such as the telephone, are very useful, if not indispensable, in certain healthcare facilities, such as surgery.

[0006] To combat these contaminations, from objects to patients, the most obvious way is to decontaminate these objects before they enter sensitive premises.

[0007] However, this requires discipline on the part of the staff, which is unfortunately not often respected.

[0008] Thus, an objective of the present invention is to propose a system and a method of decontamination control to ensure that hospital staff enter sensitive areas such as operating rooms, having decontaminated their objects, and preferably their hands.

[0009] To achieve this objective, the invention proposes a decontamination control system for an establishment comprising at least one sensitive area, the decontamination control system comprising: - a decontamination unit; - at least one badge with an NFC tag included or stuck on it, and / or at least one object bearing an NFC tag; - a first clock providing the day and time of a decontamination using the decontaminator; - a device at the entrance of said sensitive room, comprising an NFC tag reader and equipped with a second clock synchronized with the first clock of the decontamination unit, characterized in that the system is configured to trigger decontamination by the decontaminator when said badge is affixed to it or inserted into it and / or said object is introduced, and to write the day and time of decontamination on said NFC label by a specialized circuit; and in that the system is configured to allow entry into said sensitive room if a first delay corresponding to the time elapsed between the time and day of decontamination, to the time and day of presentation of said badge and / or said object to the shoe, is less than a second predetermined delay to consider persistence of decontamination; otherwise, the system is configured to prohibit said entry into said sensitive room.

[0010] By “decontaminator” is meant an apparatus enabling decontamination, sterilization, and substantial elimination of germs and other sources of nosocomial diseases.

[0011] Advantageously, the invention makes it possible to condition access to the sensitive area on the decontamination of objects and / or hand washing, which greatly limits the risk of nosocomial diseases.

[0012] The present invention is based on an innovative device, allowing the entry of these objects only if they are decontaminated and / or hands are washed, and in a strict and unavoidable manner.

[0013] According to one variant, the decontaminator forms a hydroalcoholic product dispenser, comprising a container of a hydroalcoholic product, the decontamination being the washing of hands using the hydroalcoholic product.

[0014] This ensures the decontamination of the hands of healthcare personnel.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the decontamination unit includes a decontamination chamber that can be resealed with a lid. This ensures the decontamination of objects transported by healthcare personnel to sensitive areas. The objects to be decontaminated are placed inside the chamber for thorough decontamination.

[0016] According to one variant, the decontamination control system further includes a container of a hydroalcoholic product associated with the decontaminator, the decontamination control system being configured to link the opening of the lid of the decontaminator and / or its operation to the automatic and simultaneous distribution of the hydroalcoholic product, the decontamination comprising an exposure of the objects to a decontamination means in said decontamination volume, and the washing of hands using the hydroalcoholic product.

[0017] This makes it possible to condition access to the sensitive area both on the decontamination of objects and on the use of the hydroalcoholic product.

[0018] According to one variant, the clocks are synchronized to a radio signal, preferably that of the DCF 77 transmitter; or to legal time.

[0019] This ensures perfect synchronization of the clocks.

[0020] According to one variant, the shoe includes a keypad for fixing to the local sensitive corresponding, the assumed persistence time of decontamination of objects deposited in the decontaminator.

[0021] This allows the second delay to be easily configured or reconfigured.

[0022] According to one variant, said object includes a mobile phone, a watch, a key ring, and / or jewelry.

[0023] This helps to limit the handling and storage of these objects, and to reduce the risk of losing them. The telephone may be important to decontaminate before it can be used in the sensitive area.

[0024] According to one variant, said decontaminator includes an activation means for activating the distribution of hydroalcoholic product by hand detection in a hydroalcoholic product distribution trajectory.

[0025] This ensures that the hands have actually been in contact with the hydroalcoholic product. Furthermore, it enables the contactless dispensing to be triggered.

[0026] The invention further relates to an establishment comprising: - at least one sensitive location, and - a decontamination control system according to the invention.

[0027] Another object of the invention relates to a decontamination control method for an establishment comprising at least one sensitive room, using the following devices: - a decontamination unit; - at least one badge with an NFC tag included or stuck on it, and / or at least one object bearing an NFC tag; - a first clock providing the day and time of a decontamination using the decontaminator; - a device at the entrance of said sensitive room, comprising an NFC tag reader and equipped with a second clock synchronized with the first clock of the decontamination unit, characterized in that it comprises: - a decontamination step to trigger decontamination by the decontaminator when said badge is affixed or inserted and / or said object is inserted, and to write the day and time of decontamination on said NFC tag by a specialized circuit; - an authorization step to authorize entry into said sensitive area if a first period corresponding to the time elapsed between the time and day of decontamination, to the time and day of presentation of said badge and / or said object to the shoe, is less than a second predetermined period to consider a persistence of decontamination; - otherwise, a prohibition step to prohibit said entry into said sensitive premises.

[0028] The invention will be further described in detail on the basis of the accompanying figures illustrating embodiments of the invention, namely: - [Fig. 1] schematically illustrates a healthcare facility according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention with telephone decontamination and hand washing with hydroalcoholic gel; and - [Fig.2] schematically illustrates a health establishment according to a second embodiment with hand washing with hydroalcoholic gel.

[0029] The present invention is based on an innovative system, allowing the entry (E) of objects of health personnel P only if they are decontaminated, and in a strict and unavoidable manner.

[0030] Thus, the first embodiment of the invention proposes a system for verifying the decontamination of hands and other objects, in order to control access to sensitive areas of healthcare facilities. This system combines traceability of decontaminated objects T, in the form of information conveyed by the passage of time measured on a universal clock, and controls access to the sensitive area L.

[0031] It is based on four physical parts: - a decontamination unit D; - a traceability device for decontaminated T objects using NFC tags worn by T objects; - a clock H1 providing the day and time in the decontamination unit D, this clock being synchronous with all the clocks in the establishment. This latter result being obtained, for example, by synchronizing with the radio signal such as the DCF 77 transmitter; - a shoe S at the entrance of the sensitive room L, comprising an NFC tag reader and equipped with a clock synchronous with the clock H1 of the decontaminator D.

[0032] The decontaminator D is in particular a UVC (LED) decontamination chamber equipped with a lid and an electrically controlled opening / closing lock.

[0033] The decontaminator D includes an electronic device for writing the time on the NFC tag.

[0034] The shoe S includes a means for generating a signal enabling urgent input, for example a loudspeaker.

[0035] By way of non-limiting example of implementation, the operation described below allows for a better understanding of the invention.

[0036] The object to be decontaminated chosen in this example: a mobile phone T, on which an NFC tag has been affixed. The phone T thus equipped is introduced into the decontamination- miner D.

[0037] Simultaneously, the decontaminator D is triggered and the day and time are written on the label by a specialized circuit.

[0038] After a few seconds, the decontamination being completed, the telephone T is removed by the person who plans to use it in the sensitive room L. This same person, in order to enter the sensitive room L, presents the telephone T to the reader of the shoe S. The latter reads the time and day written on the label of the telephone and compares them to the time and day of its clock H2, synchronous with the clock H1 of the decontaminator D.

[0039] He deduces from this the time elapsed between the time and day of entry of the telephone T into the decontaminator D to the time and day of presentation of the same telephone T to the shoe S by the person wishing to enter the sensitive room L with this telephone T.

[0040] This time A, thus determined, is compared, by the shoe S, to the time B, decided for the room L, a time during which the telephone T is considered sterile.

[0041] If A is less than B, the entry authorization is activated by the shoe S.

[0042] Otherwise, the shoe S displays a no-entry signal.

[0043] In a second, non-limiting embodiment, the NFC tag is included and / or glued into the badge card I worn by healthcare personnel P.

[0044] To gain entry to a sensitive area L, the badge holder I inserts it into the decontaminator D, as already described, and takes the opportunity to add all the contaminated objects T that he will carry into area L. For added effectiveness, before removing the badge I and the objects T from the decontaminator D, he will disinfect his hands.

[0045] In this configuration, and also all others, the opening of the lid of the decontaminator D and / or its operation can be linked to the automatic and simultaneous distribution of a hydroalcoholic hand disinfection product by a container R associated with the decontaminator D, in particular directly connected to the decontaminator D.

[0046] In a third, non-limiting embodiment, the time and day of the clock H1 of the decontaminator D and that (H2) of the shoe S, at the entrance of the room L, are initialized from the legal time, are therefore synchronous, their operating time, thanks to a long-life battery, exceeding 10 years, and will not drift by more than 1 second for these 10 years, thanks to the technologies of current watches and quartz-controlled clocks.

[0047] The reading shoe S, at the entrance of the sensitive room L, also includes a keyboard allowing the setting, for this room L, of the assumed persistence time B of decontamination of the objects T deposited in the decontaminator D.

[0048] The time during which the hands are considered decontaminated is programmable for each sensitive area L, on the shoe S containing the label reader.

[0049] The shoe S includes a circuit delivering a signal authorising, or prohibiting, entry into the premises.

[0050] In conclusion, this device, the object of the invention, is innovative in its principle of using the time and day of decontamination as identifiers for decontaminated objects T, thus ensuring traceability through the choice of identifier. Furthermore, it requires no radio or wired connection between the decontaminator D and the entrance to the room.

[0051] The system may include a computerized device for analyzing the frequency of use of the system.

[0052] Information is conveyed by the flow of time. It is universal by virtue of its choices, usable in all places in the world, as designed, with a minimum of constraints, both technological and human, for a modest price.

[0053] The second embodiment of the invention is similar to the first, with an emphasis on hand disinfection, but the decontamination of objects is not provided for.

[0054] Thus, the access control system is simplified (without the UVC decontaminator D). The decontaminator DI used is a hydroalcoholic product dispenser.

[0055] The system operates as follows: - place badge I (which each member of staff P wears) on the DI gel dispenser equipped with the time-writing electronics; - present hands under the gel jet, triggered by a cell, the gel triggering signal then commanding the writing of the time on badge I; - the badge I thus written is used for control on the shoe S, as already described.

[0056] The two devices D, DI can exist simultaneously, depending on the needs of the sensitive premises L.

[0057] In the preferred embodiment, the DI decontaminator can be triggered either manually or by hand detection under a hydroalcoholic product distribution trajectory. This is, for example, an activation element coupled to a sensor, such as an infrared sensor.

Claims

Demands

1. Decontamination control system for an establishment comprising at least one sensitive room (L), the decontamination control system comprising: - a first decontaminator (Dl), and optionally a second decontaminator (D), the first decontaminator (Dl) forming a hydroalcoholic product dispenser, including a container (R) of a hydroalcoholic product, decontamination being the washing of hands using the hydroalcoholic product; - at least one badge (I) with a first NFC tag included or stuck on it, and optionally at least one object (T) bearing a second NFC tag; - a first clock (Hl) providing the day and time of a decontamination by means of said decontaminator (D; Dl); - a shoe (S) at the entrance of said sensitive room (L), comprising an NFC tag reader and being equipped with a second clock (H2) synchronous with the first clock (Hl) of the decontaminator (D; Dl), the system being configured to trigger decontamination by said decontaminator (D; Dl) when said badge (I) is affixed to it or inserted and optionally said object (T) is inserted into it, and to write the day and time of decontamination on said first NFC tag by a specialized circuit; the system being configured to allow an entry (E) into said sensitive room (L) if a first delay (A) corresponding to the time elapsed between the time and day of decontamination, the time and day of presentation of said badge (I) and optionally of said object (T) to the shoe (S), is less than a second predetermined delay (B) to consider persistence of decontamination; otherwise, the system is configured to prohibit said entry (E) into said sensitive room (L), characterized in that said decontaminator (Dl) includes an activation means to activate the distribution of hydroalcoholic product by a hand detection in a hydroalcoholic product distribution trajectory, so that a hydroalcoholic product trigger signal then commands the writing of the time on said badge (I).

2. Decontamination control system according to claim 1, wherein the decontaminator (D) comprises a decontamination volume that can be closed by a lid.

3. A decontamination control system according to the preceding claim, further comprising a container (R) of a hydroalcoholic product associated with the decontaminator (D), the decontamination control system being configured to link the opening of the lid of the decontaminator (D) and / or its operation to the automatic and simultaneous distribution of the hydroalcoholic product, the decontamination comprising exposure of the objects (T) to a decontamination means in said decontamination volume, and hand washing using the hydroalcoholic product.

4. Decontamination control system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the clocks (H1, H2) are synchronized to a radio signal, preferably that of the DCF 77 transmitter; or to legal time.

5. Decontamination control system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the shoe (S) has a keyboard for setting, for the corresponding sensitive area (L), the time delay (B) of assumed persistence of decontamination of the objects (T) deposited in the decontaminator (D).

6. Decontamination control system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said object comprises a mobile phone (T), a watch, a key ring, and / or jewelry.

7. Establishment comprising: - at least one sensitive room (L), and - a decontamination control system according to one of the preceding claims.

8. A decontamination control method for an establishment comprising at least one sensitive area (L), using the following devices: - at least one decontamination unit (D; Dl), the decontamination unit (Dl) forming a hydroalcoholic product dispenser, comprising a container (R) of a hydroalcoholic product, decontamination being hand washing with the hydroalcoholic product; - at least one badge (I) with a first NFC tag included or affixed thereto, and optionally at least one object (T) bearing a second NFC tag; - a first clock (Hl) providing the day and time of decontamination using said decontamination unit (D; Dl); - a device (S) at the entrance to said sensitive area (L), comprising a reader of NFC tags and being equipped with a second clock (H2) synchronous with the first clock (Hl) of said decontaminator (D; Dl), characterized in that it comprises: - a decontamination step to trigger decontamination by the decontaminator (D; Dl) when said badge (I) is affixed or inserted there and optionally said object (T) is inserted there, and to write the day and time of decontamination on said first NFC tag by a specialized circuit; - an authorization step to authorize entry (E) into said sensitive room (L) if a first delay (A) corresponding to the time elapsed between the time and day of decontamination, the time and day of presentation of said badge (I) and optionally of said object (T) to the shoe (S), is less than a second predetermined delay (B) to consider a persistence of decontamination; - otherwise, a prohibition step to prohibit said entry (E) into said sensitive premises (L); characterized in that said decontaminator (Dl) includes an activation means for activating the distribution of hydroalcoholic product by hand detection in a hydroalcoholic product distribution trajectory, so that a gel trigger signal then commands the writing of the time on the badge (I).