Dispenser and contaminant sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9437103-B2
Application number	US-201214355487-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2012
Priority date	Nov 4, 2011
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

A fluid dispenser including a contaminant sensor and methods of use of such a fluid dispenser to monitor contaminants either alone or in an array of similar dispensers within a facility.

First claim

I claim:

1. A method of monitoring a contaminant comprising a biologic pathogen or a product of the biologic pathogen signaling the presence of the pathogen in a facility comprising:
providing at spaced locations about a facility, a plurality of fluid dispensers each adapted to dispense a cleaning fluid onto a person's hands,
dispensing with each dispenser the fluid onto a person's hands to clean the persons hands,
providing each dispenser with a housing,
providing a plurality of reservoirs with each reservoir containing a finite volume the fluid to be dispensed and each reservoir capable of being removably coupled to the housing for removal and replacement,
providing a plurality of sensors capable when activated to detect the presence and relative level of the contaminant,
for each dispenser:
(a) coupling a first of the reservoirs to the housing, coupling a first of the sensors to the dispenser open to the environment about the dispenser and capable of detecting the presence and relative level of the contaminant, activating the first of the sensors to commence detecting the presence and relative level of the contaminant in the environment about the dispenser, and
(b) repeating from time to time steps of:
(i) removing the reservoir coupled to the housing and the respective sensor coupled to the dispenser and
(ii) replacing the reservoir coupled to the housing by coupling another of the reservoirs to the housing and at the same time as replacing the reservoir coupled to the housing both (a) replacing the respective sensor coupled to the dispenser by coupling another respective sensor to the dispenser open to the environment about the dispenser and (b) activating the another respective sensor to commence detecting the presence and relative level of the contaminant in the environment about the dispenser,

generating, for each dispenser periodically over time, signals representative of the level of the contaminant on each sensor at different times,
converting the signals to data representative of the level of the contaminant on each sensor at different times, comparing the level of the contaminant sensed with one or more thresholds and determining if the level of contaminant does not meet the thresholds.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:
providing each of the reservoirs with a respective one of the sensors mechanically linked to each respective one of the reservoirs against separation from the respective one of the reservoirs,
coupling each of the reservoirs to the housing with the respective sensor mechanically linked to each of the reservoirs, and coupling each of the respective sensors to the dispenser while mechanically linked to its respective reservoir.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein:
providing a removable release sheet member on the sensor which when engaged on the sensor prevents operation of the sensor,
providing a removable closure member on each reservoir which when engaged on the reservoir prevents coupling of the reservoir to the housing,
providing each closure member mechanically linked to the release sheet member of the sensor on each respective reservoir, and
at the time of coupling each reservoir to the housing, removing the removable closure member from the reservoir to be coupled and thereby removing the release sheet member on the sensor to activate the sensor to detect the presence and relative level of the contaminant.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2 including:
providing on each dispenser with an electrically powered control module including a wireless communications system and an electrical power source,
providing each sensor as a wireless sensor having electrically connected elements independent of the control module including a contaminant sensing mechanism, a sensor processor controlling the contaminant sensing mechanism and generating the signals, a sensor power source, and a sensor communication device with a wireless communications capability and having each sensor communicate wirelessly the signals to the communications system provided on the dispenser to which the sensor is coupled.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3 including:
providing on each dispenser with an electrically powered control module including a wireless communications system and an electrical power source,
providing each sensor as a wireless sensor having electrically connected elements independent of the control module including a contaminant sensing mechanism, a sensor processor controlling the contaminant sensing mechanism and generating the signals, a sensor power source, and a sensor communication device with a wireless communications capability and having each sensor communicate wirelessly the signals to the communications system provided on the dispenser to which the sensor is coupled.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 including:
Providing on each dispenser with an electrically powered control module including a wireless communications system and an electrical power source,
providing each sensor as a wireless sensor having electrically connected elements independent of the control module including a contaminant sensing mechanism, a sensor processor controlling the contaminant sensing mechanism and generating the signals, a sensor power source, and a sensor communication device with a wireless communications capability and having each sensor communicate wirelessly the signals to the communications system provided on the dispenser to which the sensor is coupled.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein each sensor consists of an integrated circuit microchip, the contaminant sensing mechanism including a biological recognition system for the contaminant and a transducer on the microchip.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the biologic pathogen is selected from the group consisting bacteria and viruses.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 in which the plurality of dispensers comprises at least 200 dispensers and the method including:
communicating the signals from the dispensers to a common processor,
monitoring the level of contaminants on each dispenser periodically over time,
calculating periodically contaminant group levels for two or more groups of the dispensers based on a function of the level of contaminants on each dispenser over selected periods of time with a contaminant sensing mechanism, a sensor communication device and a sensor power source,
comparing the contaminant group levels for a first of said groups with the contaminant group levels for a second of said groups, and when the contaminant group levels for the first of said groups varies from the contaminant group levels for the second of said groups instituting a counter measure towards reducing contaminant group levels for one of the first of said groups and the second of said groups,
wherein the counter measure is selected from the group of:
(a) increasing a dosage of fluid dispensed in a single activation of the pump for each dispenser in one of the first of said groups and the second of said groups over a dosage of fluid dispensed in a single activation of the pump for each dispenser in the other of the first of said groups and the second of said groups,
(b) changing the fluid that each dispenser in one of the first of said groups and the second of said groups dispenses over the fluid that each dispenser dispenses in the other of the first of said groups and the second of said groups to have greater or different cleaning or disinfecting properties,
(c) introducing different hygiene compliance policies in areas of the facility containing one of the first of said groups and the second of said groups over hygiene compliance policies in areas of the facility containing in the other of the first of said g

Assignees

• Op Hygiene Ip Gmbh

Inventors

• Ophardt Heiner

Classifications

• A47K5/1205

  Dispensing from the top of the dispenser with a vertical piston · CPC title

• A47K5/1211

  using pressure on soap, e.g. with piston (A47K5/1201 takes precedence; using squeeze bottles or the like A47K5/122) · CPC title

• A47K5/1217 Primary

  Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism · CPC title

• A47K5/1202

  dispensing dosed volume (A47K5/1201 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G08C17/02 Primary

  using a radio link · CPC title