US 12,542,046 B2Granted

Apparatus and methods for hygiene monitoring in restaurants and grocery superstores

OwnerArian Shoari, Mona Komeijaniinventors

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Abstract

This disclosure describes methods and apparatus for hygiene monitoring in hospitals and drug stores. One sub-system use a combination of radio frequency tags attached to the staff, RF tag readers and infrared/proximity/motion/microphone/touch sensors installed over the faucet and dispenser to monitor if the staff wash their hands properly after going to the restroom. The forth sub-system automatically generate drug expiring label for opened drug container based on RF tag worn by the staff or attached to the container. The system generate and print the label whenever the staff gesture their RF tags in front of them and potentially scan the container bar code or select it from a drop-down menu on its touch screen. The last sub-system can also monitor the inventory of drug/medicine container in the refrigerator and provide a report or alert when they the time gets close to expiration date.

Claims3

Dependent claims

An automatic drug labeling system comprising:

a bar code tag for storing an identifier of a medicine type which is attached to a drug container;
a machine comprising a bar code reader and a processor, wherein the machine is located proximate to a compartment storing said drug container;
a first database for storing a list of bar codes and their corresponding medicine type;
and
a second database for storing a list of medicine types and their corresponding drug-specific safe consumption period for consuming medicine stored in the drug container after a user opens the drug container based on the medicine type stored in the opened drug container;
wherein the machine is configured to automatically generate a set of drug expiration information for the medicine stored in the drug container when the user scans the bar code tag with the bar code reader;
and,
wherein said set of drug expiration information comprises:
an expiration date calculated based on a drug-specific safe consumption period and a first current date indicating when the drug container is being opened by the user;
and,
wherein said drug-specific safe consumption period is retrieved from said second database based on the medicine type corresponding to the bar code tag obtained from said first database.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/721,069Filed 14 Apr 2022 · continuation in part
Priority: 13 Apr 2016
Published: US 2022/0238004 A128 Jul 2022
Granted: 3 Feb 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification42 codes

G01K 1/024
Means for indicating or recording specially adapted for thermometers: for remote indication
G08B 21/245
Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms: reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands
B65C 3/08
Affixing labels to short rigid containers: to container bodies
B65C 9/40
Details of labelling machines or apparatus: controls; Safety devices

Family

Application62/321,906Us provisional application · filed 13 Apr 2016
PCT/IB2017/001021Parent of this continuation · filed 13 Apr 2017
Application16/820,727Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 17 Mar 2020
US 10,593,188 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 17 Mar 2020
Application17/182,237Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 23 Feb 2021
US 10,930,135 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 23 Feb 2021
US 2022/0238004 A1Pre-grant publication · published 28 Jul 2022
US 11,900,787 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application16/093,635Parent of this continuation
Application16/820,727Parent of this continuation
US 2019/0147730 A1Published application
US 2020/0219377 A1Published application
US 2021/0174665 A1Published application
US 12,542,046 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.