Portable Disinfectant Dispenser With Reminder Alerts and Usage Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for hand disinfection, such as wall-mounted dispensers and portable canisters, often fail to ensure frequent and timely use, especially in medical settings, due to accessibility issues and the need for constant monitoring, leading to ineffective prevention of infectious disease transmission.
Innovation Solution
A portable dispenser assembly with an electronic alert system that reminds users to dispense disinfectant through audible, visual, or tactile signals, and transmits data on dispensing events to a monitoring system, ensuring timely use and tracking of disinfection practices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If wall-mounted dispensers are used for hand disinfection, then disinfectant is readily available at fixed locations, but users cannot access it immediately when needed and constant monitoring is required
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the monitoring function into discrete components: individual sensors at each dispenser location, separate alert mechanisms for each user, and modular data collection units. This segmentation allows the monitoring system to be distributed rather than centralized, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The dispenser system automatically monitors its own usage through integrated sensors that detect when disinfectant is dispensed. The system self-generates alerts when refilling is needed and automatically tracks usage data without requiring manual intervention or external monitoring personnel, thereby eliminating the need for constant human monitoring.
2Ease of operation
If portable canisters are carried for hand disinfection, then immediate access is possible, but users frequently misplace them and they require constant monitoring to ensure use
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates real-time feedback mechanisms where sensors detect dispensing events and immediately provide feedback through alerts and data logging. This feedback loop ensures that each dispensing action is recorded and verified, maintaining reliability of use data without requiring constant manual monitoring of the portable device.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual tracking and monitoring of portable canister usage with electronic sensors and automated data collection. Instead of relying on users to manually report or remember usage, the electronic system automatically detects and records each dispensing event, ensuring consistent and reliable data collection.
3Ease of operation
If disinfectant stations are placed throughout medical facilities, then accessibility is improved, but the disinfectant is often empty requiring constant refilling
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary monitoring of disinfectant levels at each station using integrated sensors. When levels are low, the system generates advance alerts before the dispensers actually run out, allowing refilling to be scheduled proactively rather than reactively. This preliminary detection and alerting prevents service interruptions and minimizes time lost to refilling operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A dispenser assembly for dispensing disinfectant to a user and associated monitoring systems and methods. The dispenser assembly includes a main housing defining a cavity and a container disposed within the cavity and releasably secured to the main housing. The container contains a fluid therewithin. An electronics unit is coupled to the main housing and includes a sensor for detecting an activation signal. The electronics unit includes a controller for producing a reminder signal in response to the detection of the activation signal to remind the user to dispense fluid from the container.