Mobile Device Disinfection Monitoring via Activity Thresholds
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for monitoring the disinfection status of mobile devices in medical environments are unreliable, as they rely on manual procedures and simplistic assumptions about disinfectant presence, leading to low compliance rates and increased cross-contamination risks.
Innovation Solution
A mobile device system that tracks the persistence of disinfectant on its surfaces by measuring time and activity levels, using a unique device identifier or QR code, to determine the confidence level of disinfectant presence and notify users when the device needs disinfection, thereby improving disinfection tracking accuracy and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual disinfection procedures are used, then device disinfection can be performed, but compliance rates are very low (less than 50%) and reliability is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile device automatically monitors its own disinfection status by tracking time since disinfection and activity levels, eliminating the need for manual tracking by personnel. The device self-manages the disinfection monitoring function that previously required human effort.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides continuous feedback to users through notifications when disinfection is needed, creating a closed-loop monitoring system that automatically tracks and communicates disinfection status based on time and activity thresholds.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If disinfection is performed frequently to ensure safety, then cross-contamination risk is reduced, but unnecessary disinfections increase time loss and reduce productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts disinfection timing based on actual device usage patterns and activity levels. Rather than using fixed schedules, the thresholds for time and activity are adjusted according to real-world device behavior, optimizing the balance between safety and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters for determining disinfection need based on measured activity levels and time. By monitoring actual device usage patterns, the system adapts the disinfection criteria to match real-world conditions, preventing both premature and delayed disinfection.
3Device complexity
If simplistic assumptions are used (device is infected once touched), then monitoring is simple, but measurement precision of disinfection status is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system segments the disinfection assessment into multiple independent factors: time since disinfection, activity level thresholds, and confidence level calculations. Each factor is measured and evaluated separately, then combined to determine overall disinfection status, providing more precise measurement than simple touch-based assumptions.
4Duration of action of stationary object
If disinfectant persistence is not tracked, then monitoring is simpler, but the time between disinfections cannot be increased and accuracy is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes confidence level thresholds and activity level thresholds based on disinfectant persistence characteristics before monitoring begins. These preliminary parameters are set based on the expected duration of disinfectant effectiveness, allowing the system to optimize the time between disinfections in advance.
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile device that includes an input device, an output device, and an electronic processor connected to the input device and the output device. The electronic processor is configured to receive, from the input device, information about a disinfectant and set a threshold time, a threshold activity level, or both the threshold time and the threshold activity level based on the information about the disinfectant. The electronic processor is also configured to track a passage of time, an activity level, or both. If the passage of time is greater than or equal to the threshold time, the activity level is greater than or equal to the threshold activity level, or both then the electronic processor is configured to output a user notification, via the output device.