Hygienic door handle system and method

#This application is a national phase application under 35 U.S.C. §371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2010/061158, filed on Jul. 30, 2010, which claims priority to and the benefit of GB Patent Application No. 0913395.0, filed on Jul. 31, 2009, the entire disclosures of each of which are incorporated by reference herein.

#The invention relates to a self-cleaning handle for a door. In particular the invention utilises a process of harnessing the kinetic energy of any door being opened, and to utilise the kinetic energy to disinfect an associated door handle.

#Nosocomial infections or Health Care Associated Infections (HCAIs) are a major financial and safety concern in hospitals and Health Care Service Units (HCSUs) worldwide. HCAIs are defined as infections that result from treatment or care of a patient within a hospital or health care service unit but are secondary to the patient's original presenting condition. The prevalence of these HCAIs has increased dramatically in the last century as a result of a number of significant factors, most notably the emergence of antibiotic or anti-microbial resistant strains of a large range of common microorganisms. Additional factors related to the increased prevalence include consolidation of hospitals/health care service units nationally (resulting in larger numbers of patients housed together, often in an immunocompromised state), increased use of outpatient treatment (consequently people in hospitals are sicker on average as a direct result), the movement of medical staff and personnel from patient to patient acting as vectors for disease transmission, lack of rigid sanitation protocols and/or enforcement, and the over-prescription of antibiotics or anti-microbial drugs.

#The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:—

#FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic illustrating the preferred method of sterilisation motor;

#FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic illustrating elevation view of the circular door handle and associated drive/roller system;

#Referring to FIG. 1 illustrates a system designed to harness the kinetic energy, imparted to a door (1) opened by an individual, to power an in situ handle sterilisation machine. The device is activated or “charged” when an applied force opens the door about its fixed axis of rotation. The kinetic energy is harnessed by using the displacement that occurs between the inner edge of the door (1) and a door jamb (2), as illustrated in FIG. 1. This displacement is harnessed by attaching a non-elastic but flexible cord (3) (e.g. a multi-link chain) at a fixed point in the door jamb (2). The cord (3) is connected to motor within the device enclosure through a channel bored through the door. The device motor converts this kinetic energy into a stored potential energy to subsequently drive the device. This aspect of the design ensures that the invention can be utilised on any door, irrespective of the direction of swing.

#The device is designed to store the required quantity of energy for operation after a door opening angle of 30 degrees or greater about the door rotational axis. This angle can be infinitely adjusted within the range of 1 degree up to 90 degrees rotation about the door axis by adjusting the device gear ratios within the device gearbox. The device is consequently primed for operation. The device will only activate once the door is released and the handle is free to rotate. This is a specific and inventive aspect of this invention made possible by the use of a worm/spur gear drive train. As the door closes, the potential energy stored is used to rotate the door handle/pad through 180 degrees of rotation. This drives the door handle/pad past/through the disinfectant applicators/reservoir located at both the top and bottom of the device enclosure interior, resulting in a homogenously disinfected door handle/pad surface. The device is designed to permit device operation only when the user is no longer in contact with the handle.

#The system of the present invention consists of three main components which will be described in detail, namely the door handle sterilisation machine enclosure, the door handle sterilisation machine, and the door handle sterilisation motor. The door handle sterilisation machine enclosure is a hollow, protective cover that contains the door handle sterilisation motor, four circular or rectangular apertures to facilitate the insertion and movement of the circular door handle or optional alternative, a sterilised door pad. The enclosure will consist of two sides, one slightly smaller in cross-sectional area than the other, facilitating the insertion of one side into the other and allowing the customisable width of the unit to retro fit a range of door of variable width.