RFID Training Sleeve for Hand-to-Face Proximity Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for preventing hand-to-face transmission of infectious diseases, such as personal protective equipment (PPE), are limited in providing protection when not worn and can become contaminated, and training users to avoid facial touching is challenging due to subconscious behavior.
Innovation Solution
A training system comprising RFID-enabled cuffs on the upper and lower arms that detect proximity between hands and the face, alerting the user to avoid facial touching by recording occurrences and providing notifications when the hand approaches the face within a certain threshold distance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If PPE is used to provide physical barrier protection, then protection against contaminated surfaces is improved, but protection is limited when not worn and PPE can become contaminated
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides real-time feedback through notifications when the hand approaches the face within the threshold distance, enabling users to correct behavior immediately. This continuous feedback loop extends the effectiveness of protection beyond physical barriers by providing ongoing behavioral guidance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical PPE barriers with an electronic sensing and notification system that detects proximity between hand and face using RFID technology, substituting physical protection mechanisms with electronic monitoring and feedback.
2Reliability
If training users to avoid facial touching is implemented, then disease transmission risk is reduced, but training is challenging due to subconscious behavior
Solution Approach 1:
The notification system provides immediate feedback when subconscious facial touching occurs, bringing unconscious behaviors into conscious awareness. This allows users to gradually retrain their habits through repeated awareness and correction cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The RFID-based detection system acts as an intermediary between the user's subconscious actions and conscious awareness, mediating the behavior modification process by providing objective, real-time information about hand-to-face proximity.
3Loss of information
If RFID detection system is implemented to detect hand-to-face proximity, then real-time feedback is provided, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses universal RFID technology, which is a well-established standard already widely deployed in other applications. This allows the system to leverage existing, proven technology rather than requiring custom complex sensing mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system copies the well-established RFID technology from other applications (such as access control and tracking systems) and adapts it for hand-to-face detection, avoiding the need to develop new complex sensing technology from scratch.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively trains users to reduce or eliminate subconscious facial touching, thereby decreasing the risk of disease transmission by providing real-time feedback and tracking facial touching incidents.
Implementation Method 1
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is a method of identifying and tracking objects tagged with a radio transponder. RFID systems consist of a RFID tracker and a RFID tag. Passive tag RFID systems do not require an onboard power source on the RFID tag, receiving energy instead from the RFID reader's interrogating radio waves.
Data Source
AI summary
A shareable, wearable training system including a first cuff configured to be worn on an upper arm and/or torso of a user, the first cuff including a first housing defining a first slot and a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transponder sized to fit within the first slot, a second cuff configured to be worn on a lower arm of the user, the second cuff comprising a second housing defining a second slot, and an interchangeable computer system sized to fit within the second slot. The computer system includes a RFID reader and instructions causing the computer system to determine and record whether the RFID transponder is within a threshold distance of the RFID reader and provides the user with a notification when the RFID transponder is within the threshold distance, thereby notifying the user when a distance between a hand of the user and a face of the user is less than the threshold distance.