This invention relates to a device and system useful for reducing the spread of contagious viruses, bacteria and other pathogens among persons who may otherwise be at risk of becoming infected, especially during the present corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic that has expanded world-wide during recent months. Although health organizations and governmental agencies have repeatedly communicated general warnings and specialized guidelines to the populace regarding the importance of disinfecting, hand washing, facial touching, social distancing and the wearing of masks to reduce the transmission of such pathogens by social, interpersonal or physical contact and aerosolization (such as by coughing, sneezing, speaking or even breathing within a crowded or confined space), new, improved and cost-efficient articles, devices and systems are still needed to assist families, health care workers and other first responders, educators, students, employees, business managers and operators of elderly care and prison facilities, for example, in identifying, recording, reporting and tracking symptomatic or asymptomatic carriers, maintaining appropriate social distancing with integrated risk-alert and warning systems, and behaviorally training or conditioning persons to avoid facial self-touching or physical contact with objects or surfaces likely to pose a risk of viral contamination.
Recent events surrounding the onset and rapid spread of the corona virus have brought to mind similar prior events relating to contagions and epidemics such as Ebola, SARS, and Legionnaires disease, more common strains of influenza, and even the common cold. Such epidemics can have tremendous societal impact and create stress in many different aspects of life, including for example, healthcare resources, workplace environments, schools and other public facilities, as well as entire industries such as transportation, manufacturing, entertainment, food preparation and delivery, hospitality and the like.
Viruses, germs and pathogenic contaminants can be spread by direct physical contact between people, or between people and contaminated objects, or by airborne transmission as a result of contaminated dust particles or respiratory droplets that become aerosolized when an infected person sneezes or coughs. Communicable diseases are often spread by the successive physical touching of an object or another person. Door handles, seat belts, gasoline pumps, money and furniture are all examples of ordinary objects that are commonly touched or handled by numerous people in a single day and can contribute to the spread of contagions or disease. Tools, devices, substances and procedures used to limit the spread of contagious diseases have typically included: quarantine, physical segregation and isolation of infected or exposed individuals; protective masks, gloves and other clothing; antiseptic and disinfectant liquids, sprays and wipes; irradiation; precautionary body temperature monitoring and medical testing; and the like. Despite many efforts to control the spread of contagious diseases, significant problems remain—in part because of inter-personal contact and in part because of the vast number of different physical objects that are handled each day by the general populace while attempting to engage in their usual daily activities.
Another significant contributor to the spread of infectious diseases can be personal “self-touching” that occurs when an individual who may have handled or contacted previously contaminated objects, surfaces or other persons with hands or fingers subsequently touches a portion of her or his own face or head (collectively referred to below as “facial self-touching”). Such facial self-touching is often unintentional or habitual, or is done subconsciously or reflexively, such as a nervous “tic,” or in response to a stimulus such as an itch or other sensation, often without realization by the person doing the touching. A device and system are therefore needed that can sense or detect a person's hand or fingers moving toward the same person's head or face; that can provide an audible, visible or tactile alert that will cause the person to change or redirect her or his behavior to avoid such inadvertent or unintended facial self-touching, and optionally count and save or record the number of proximal hand approaches and/or self-touches that occur within a measured interval. Such a device and system are desirably susceptible to high-speed, low-cost manufacturing, light in weight, durable and dependable, with a service life sufficient to withstand repeated cycles of operation over a reasonable use period without recharging, service, maintenance or replacement of component parts. Such a device and system are not believed to be presently available but are disclosed below.
Because appropriate social distancing (i.e., maintaining physical separation of at least three feet, and preferably six feet or more between persons) has also been recognized as a critical factor in controlling the interpersonal transmission of pathogenic contaminants, a need exists for improved articles, devices and systems capable of monitoring, sensing, reporting, warning, tracking, recording, tracing and communicating the movements of people who are going about their daily activities. Devices and systems useful for achieving those purposes are disclosed here.
In one embodiment of the invention, a personal proximity alert device and behavior modification system are disclosed that are configured to reduce occurrences of facial self-touching and thereby also reduce the likelihood of spreading infectious pathogens or contaminants present on the hands of a user to one or more parts of the user's facial area, and especially to the areas around the mouth, eyes or nose of the user, which are likely to facilitate the spread of such infectious pathogens or contaminants to the digestive, circulatory, neural or pulmonary systems of the user.
In another embodiment of the invention, a personal proximity alert device and behavior modification system are disclosed that can generate an audible, visible or tactile alert whenever a user's face or hands are moved to a position proximal to the face for the purpose of modifying the user's behavior to reduce occurrences of facial self-touching.
In another embodiment of the invention, a personal proximity alert device and behavior modification system are disclosed that can count and record, save or transmit the number of times at least a part of a hand of the user penetrates a “personal protection zone” around the user's facial area within a requisite counting period.
In another embodiment of the invention, a personal proximity alert device and behavior modification system are disclosed that can count and record, save or transmit the number of times at least part of the hand of a user contacts the facial area of the user within a requisite counting period.
In another embodiment, a personal proximity alert device and behavior modification system are disclosed that has an infrared (IR) sensor and an ancillary temperature recording device that can monitor or determine and record, save or transmit the facial temperature of the user at requisite times for the purpose of ascertaining whether the user may have become infected by an infectious pathogen.
In another embodiment, the personal proximity alert device of the invention system satisfactorily comprises at least one detection member (such as infrared (IR) sensors) for detecting temperatures or separation distances, and at least one alert notification member that communicate cooperatively to alert the user whenever a part of at least one hand of a user penetrates a “personal protection zone” disposed around the facial area of the user or when two or more users of such devices or systems are moving toward or into a proscribed area or have violated a minimum separation distance as determined, for example, by signal strength or by GPS positioning.
In another embodiment, the behavior modification system of the invention satisfactorily comprises a personal proximity alert device having the capability to communicate with other devices, networks or systems (i.e. fit bit, WAN, medical database, etc.) and such communication capability may be achieved via wired (i.e. USB, Ethernet, etc.) or wireless methods (i.e. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, etc.) If desired, the subject device and system can also be configured to record, save or transmit user data regarding facial touches or near-touches for personal use, or for subsequent contact tracing or for use in generating new alerts. Such technology can also be used to time stamp occurrences, generate data logs, and prepare maps that are helpful in cataloging and distributing information useful in monitoring high-risk areas or for controlling participation in so-called “super-spreader” events
In another embodiment, the invention comprises a personal proximity alert device that detects a finger, thumb or hand of a user moving toward the head or face of the user and alerts the user to pending physical contact before such contact occurs and, preferably, sufficiently in advance of such contact that the user is able to respond by controlling the movement to prevent the physical contact from occurring. In addition to usefulness for retraining users of the methods, devices and systems disclosed here, when such tools and practices are adopted and implemented over time by large groups of users, significant reductions in the spread of COVID or other pandemic viruses can be achieved.
In another embodiment, the subject invention can include a touch sensor that is worn on the hand(s), finger(s) or wrist of a user and is configured to generate an electronic pulse whenever a touch surface makes contact with a part of the facial area of the user. Alternatively, touch, temperature, or positional sensing and notification devices and systems can be incorporated into wearable garments, hats, shoes, jewelry and the like to assist in alerting, warning or protecting a user or bystander of potential risk, or in behaviorally conditioning a user to observe and maintain desirable social distancing and other safe behaviors.
In another embodiment, the personal proximity alert device and behavior modification system of the invention satisfactorily comprises, in addition to a detection member and an alert notification member, one or more of the following ancillary devices: a preprogrammed or programmable controller; a power supply; a transmitter/receiver; a timer; a proximity zone penetration counter; a facial self-touch counter; and a data storage or recording device.
In another embodiment, a time interval between detection and alert notification can be preset using an electronic controller or timer, and can vary in accordance with factors such as the proximity of the hand to the face and the speed and direction of hand movement relative to the head or face. The interval is desirably sufficient to enable the user to react and respond by moving the user's hand(s) and/or head to avoid or reduce the likelihood of physical contact that would constitute facial self-touching.
The detection member and the alert notification member of the personal proximity device can be configured within a single element or can be separately configured into two or more elements disposed apart from each other. The physical configuration of the personal proximity alert device and behavior modification system of the invention can also vary according to the particular detection technology selected for use in the detection member and in the alert notification member of the device. For example and without limitation, the detection technology can be based upon and include commercially available components configured to implement magnetic, acoustic, infrared, radio frequency or optical (laser) detection. The detection member of the subject device can be directional or non-directional. If the subject device is used primarily at a time when the user is sitting, for example, a properly positioned and calibrated detection member will be effective to trigger an alert notification if the user's hands move into a defined personal protection zone toward the head or face from any direction. The subject system can also be utilized for detecting proximity to the face as opposed to proximity to a sensor.
Depending upon the particular components selected for use in the detector member and the alert notification member of the personal proximity alert device and behavior modification system of the invention, a suitable power supply such as rechargeable or non-rechargeable batteries can be provided as part of the subject system.
For some devices and systems of the invention, elements of the detection member or of the alert notification system may be worn attached to or embedded in one or more of the following: a cap, visor or headband; one or more wristbands, watch, bracelet or ring; in a pin or pen; in ear-pods or earplugs; in eyeglasses; in a necklace or choker; or hanging from a short lanyard worn around the neck. In one embodiment of the invention, for example, laterally spaced-apart detection members are disposed at each side of eyeglass frames and an audio alert notification generator and battery are disposed inside one of the earpieces. In one alternate embodiment of the invention, the detection member has a detection member and a visual alert notification member mounted forwardly of the user's eyes in the bill of a visor worn on the user's head. In still another embodiment of the invention, the detection member comprises two laterally opposed detection elements disposed in pull-out slides situated on each side of a head support collar worn around the neck of the user, with a tactile alert notification member and rechargeable battery disposed in the base of the collar behind the user's head. In still another embodiment of the invention, one or more mirrors disposed beneath or forwardly of the bill of a cap can receive and redirect infrared radiation from the face of a user to an IR sensor and recorder or alert system adapted to notify a wearer if his or her own facial temperature exceeds a predetermined norm for a sufficient period of time.
The alert notification member of the invention can be satisfactorily configured to receive a communications signal or other input from the detection member of the subject personal proximity alert device and then quickly trigger an audible, visible or tactile alert to the user. An audible alert can, for example, be a beeper producing a readily identifiable audio signal sufficiently loud to get the immediate attention of the user. If the subject device and system are used regularly, the sounding of the audible alert should condition the user to initiate a reflexive response that will cause her or his hands to be drawn away from the user's face, thereby successfully interrupting the facial self-touching behavior. With an alert notification member that generates a visual signal, a solid or blinking LED bulb readily visible to the user can similarly condition the user to move her or his hands away from the face and refrain from self-touching for at least a short interval. With an alert notification member that generates a tactile alert in response to movement of the hands or fingers toward the head or face of the user, a small motor having an eccentrically mounted rotor or another similarly effective device will generate a tactile stimulus sufficient to produce the desired response.
In another embodiment of the invention, a small plastic box with a belt clip worn on the belt or waistband of a user satisfactorily comprises a selectively programmable processor operatively coupled to a rechargeable battery and an associated transmitter/receiver configured to communicate wirelessly with a pair of motion detection sensors configured as earplugs that also generate and play an audible alert when signaled by the processor in response to movement of the user's hands toward her or his face.
The personal proximity alert notification system of the invention can be configured to operate with or without interaction or input from the user, and any alert notification can be selectively disabled if desired. While primarily intended for the principal purpose of reminding and conditioning users to refrain from unintentional facial self-touching and thereby reduce the likelihood of spreading infectious diseases, viruses and other biologically hazardous contaminants, it will be appreciated upon reading this disclosure that the subject invention can also be used or reconfigured for use to achieve other beneficial purposes and results.
The invention is further described and explained in relation to the following drawings wherein:
Referring to the embodiment of
Referring to
Although not depicted in the drawings, several examples of the manner in which detectors 16, 18 and personal proximity alert device 13 can be configured or worn for use by user 34 in association with behavior modification system 10 of the invention are disclosed in the preceding text and will become apparent upon reading the specification in connection with the drawings provided.
Referring to
One embodiment of a personal proximity alert device 52 is further depicted and described in relation to
Referring again to
Alert behavior modification system 10 of the invention can in some embodiments detect either passive objects disposed within or approaching the personal protection zone of a moving user of the device or moving objects approaching proximity sensors disposed within the personal protection zone of an active or passive user of proximity alert device 13, 52.
Referring to
Referring to
It will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading this specification in relation to the accompanying drawings that various other modifications and alterations to the disclosed apparatus and methods can also be made, and it is intended that the scope of the invention disclosed herein be limited only by the broadest interpretation of the appended claims to which the inventors are legally entitled.
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