Disinfection Tracking Network for UV-C Pathogen Spread Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems fail to efficiently leverage vast amounts of infection-related data from networked devices to track and mitigate healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) within local healthcare environments, lacking robust disinfection solutions and effective outbreak tracking.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that combines data from various sources, including surface interaction, handwashing compliance, occupancy, and personnel tracking, with historical and biological surveillance data to predict pathogen spread and recommend tailored disinfection countermeasures using UV-C intensity and cleaning protocols.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional cleaning procedures are used to properly clean hospital rooms, then patient safety is improved, but cleaning time increases significantly (30-45 minutes per room)
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary disinfection actions by deploying UV-C emitting devices to hospital rooms before patients arrive or after patients discharge. This preliminary action reduces pathogen load in advance, allowing standard cleaning procedures to be completed more quickly while maintaining or improving patient safety outcomes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces manual mechanical cleaning actions with automated UV-C electromagnetic radiation disinfection. The UV-C devices automatically disinfect surfaces and air without requiring physical contact or manual labor, substituting the mechanical cleaning process with a non-contact energy-based disinfection method that operates independently of human intervention.
2Productivity
If more cleaning resources are allocated to reduce cleaning time per room, then productivity improves, but the quality of disinfection may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces UV-C emitting devices as intermediary disinfection agents between the cleaning staff and the environment. These devices act as mediators that perform the actual pathogen destruction function, allowing cleaning staff to focus on tasks requiring human judgment and adaptability while the UV-C devices handle the consistent, measurable disinfection process with predictable outcomes.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual cleaning actions are replaced with automated UV-C electromagnetic radiation disinfection systems that provide consistent, measurable disinfection outcomes. The UV-C devices deliver controlled doses of ultraviolet radiation that reliably eliminate pathogens without variability introduced by human factors such as fatigue, training level, or adherence to procedures.
3Measurement precision
If extensive data collection from multiple sources is implemented to track infections, then outbreak tracking accuracy improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The platform performs multiple functions within a single integrated system: collecting data from diverse sources (occupancy sensors, handwashing compliance monitors, cleaning workflow trackers, biological surveillance systems), analyzing the data to identify transmission patterns, predicting outbreak risks, and generating actionable recommendations. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems into one unified platform.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a centralized data platform as an intermediary that standardizes and harmonizes data from multiple heterogeneous sources. This intermediary layer translates diverse data formats and protocols into a common structure, enabling accurate analysis without requiring direct integration between all individual data sources.
4Reliability
If real-time pathogen spread prediction is implemented, then mitigation effectiveness improves, but data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary data processing and pattern recognition continuously in the background, building predictive models before outbreaks occur. By pre-processing data and establishing baseline transmission patterns during normal operations, the system reduces the computational burden during critical prediction periods and can generate rapid predictions when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The predictive analytics platform performs self-service data processing by automatically collecting, cleaning, and analyzing data without requiring external computational resources during critical prediction moments. The system maintains its own data infrastructure and processing capabilities, generating predictions autonomously based on accumulated historical data and real-time inputs.
Data Source
AI summary
A disinfecting tracking network for creating healthier environments. The system and methods for tracking and utilizing this information to build and maintain healthier environments with a laboratory approach to data inputs. This system is a cloud-based system with IOT interface and APIs to enable broad reaching inputs for analysis. This system creates a safer ecosystem and cross statistic sharing of performance parameters.