Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to dispensers. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to sanitizing gel dispensers.
One of the main causes of infectious diseases, as well as other types of illnesses, in humans results from disease-carrying organisms on hands transferring to other body parts such as the mouth, eyes, and nose. The spread of disease-causing organisms is especially problematic in hospitals or other healthcare environments. Accordingly, sanitizing gel has become an important staple to hand hygiene, especially in the healthcare environment.
Sanitizing gel allows users to disinfect their hands without the use of running water. Many sanitizing dispensers, however, are inconvenient because they are held or rest on a surface to dispense the sanitizer. For example, pump gel dispensers often include a horizontal spout having a tip of the spout directed downward. To actuate such dispensers, the user might pump the spout with one hand, and extend the other hand underneath the spout to receive the sanitizer. When using such dispensers, the force imparted on the pump head can cause the dispenser to tip over if it is not braced or steadied. As a result many users steady the dispenser with one hand while pumping it with the other. These dispensers, however, often are inconvenient, especially for professionals who must clean their hands frequently and move from room to room.
Current wearable gel dispensers often require the user to actuate a pump or squeeze the bladder of a container to dispense the gel. Examples of such dispensers are described in U.S. Patent Application 2006/0289567 by Shoham et al. titled “Wearable Disinfecting Gel Dispenser” and U.S. Pat. No. 6,983,864 by Ronald Cagle, titled “Fluid Dispenser Assembly.” Because such dispensers require the user to use an unnatural motion to dispense the gel, these dispensers may be time-consuming to use and burdensome to handle, especially for personnel that have a need or desire to sanitize their hands frequently.
In order to achieve the frequency of hand sanitizing that the healthcare environment demands, hand sanitizing should be intuitive and natural. Accordingly, there is still a need for a cost-effective and time-saving wearable sanitizing gel dispenser that is appropriate for the healthcare environment.
In view of the foregoing, embodiments of the present invention advantageously dispense sanitizing gel to one or more hands of a healthcare personnel using a wearable sanitizing gel dispenser actuated by perhaps a more intuitive and natural hand motion. Embodiments also allow amounts of excess gel residue to be removed readily from hands of healthcare personnel during this perhaps more intuitive and natural hand motion to thereby reduce the desire or need to wipe the residue on clothing, separate cloths or other wipes, or other items, including another hand, for example. Although referred to by specific example, various other personnel, e.g., industry, office, manufacturing, government, can also use the dispensers as will be understood by those skilled in the art, and the healthcare personnel example and reference herein includes these other areas of use and other personnel in these environments.
An embodiment of the present invention includes a sanitizing gel dispenser to dispense sanitizing gel to the hands of healthcare personnel when the dispenser is attached to clothing or clothing accessories of healthcare personnel. Healthcare organizations highly recommend, or even require, that healthcare personnel sanitize their hands before and after every contact with a patient. Embodiments of the present invention can worn by healthcare personnel throughout their working shift to sanitize their hands and assist in meeting hand hygiene guidelines.
Embodiments of the present invention includes, for example, an outer gel container housing adapted to store sanitizing gel therein. The outer gel container housing can be disposable, replaceable or refillable and can include, for example, an aperture to allow the gel to exit from the outer gel container housing. A dispenser body, according to embodiments of the present invention, is connected to the outer gel container housing and receives gel from the aperture therein.
In an embodiment of a dispenser, the aperture initially can be covered, for example, by a thin piece of penetrable material to secure the gel within the container. This penetrable material then can be pierced by a valve disposed on an end portion of the dispenser body when the outer gel container housing is positioned to connect to or be mounted on the dispenser body. The valve, according to embodiments of the invention, matingly connects to the aperture so that the dispensing body is adapted to receive gel flowing from the outer gel container housing. The dispenser body can include, for example, a linking mechanism to allow the dispenser body to selectively detach from the outer gel container housing. The dispenser body can also include a roller seat formed in a front face of the dispenser body to secure an ellipsoidal roller within the dispenser body.
According to embodiments of the invention, inner surfaces of the valve extend downwardly within the inner surfaces of the dispenser body when the outer gel container housing is mounted to the dispenser body. The inner surfaces of the valve, for example, can connect to a throat positioned within the dispenser body through which the gel fluidly travels to the roller seat and therefrom to an ellipsoidal roller. The ellipsoidal roller is connected to and seated in the roller seat and is shaped to allow gel to be readily dispensed to one or more hands of healthcare personnel by a selective hand motion by healthcare personnel. The selective hand motion, for example, can actuate the ellipsoidal roller to rollingly supply gel to the ellipsoidal roller and therefrom to one or more hands of healthcare personnel. The dispenser also can include clothing attachment member, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, (e.g., a clip, hook and loop fastener or Lanyard) to allow the dispenser to attached to clothing or clothing accessories of healthcare personnel in an orientation so as to allow gravity to cause the gel to flow toward the aperture.
Embodiments of the present invention can also include a release mechanism connected to the dispenser body to selectively detach the detachable outer housing from the linking mechanism of the dispenser body. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention can be conveniently detached to replace one or more parts of the dispenser or refill the outer gel container housing.
In alternative to the gel being stored in the outer gel container housing, embodiments of the present invention include an inner gel container adapted to store the gel therein and having an aperture through which the gel can exit through. Additionally, an outer gel container housing can be adapted to position and house the inner gel container. In this embodiment, the valve matingly connects with the aperture of inner gel container to allow fluid communication so that the dispenser body is adapted to receive gel from the inner gel container and is dispensed by the dispenser body through the ellipsoidal roller.
Embodiments of the present invention can also include, for example, a flexible fabric housing positioned to house the inner gel container or to define the outer gel housing container in other embodiments where an inner gel container is not used or needed. This flexible fabric housing can replace or be another embodiment of the outer gel container housing as needed. In addition, either the ellipsoidal roller can be used in this embodiment or dispensing sponge, e.g., elongated. In this embodiment, either the ellipsoidal roller or the dispensing sponge can be connected to and positioned to extend along an end portion of the flexible fabric housing so that outer surfaces of the flexible fabric housing is adapted so that the outer surfaces of the flexible fabric housing receive gel residue from one or more hands of healthcare personnel when using the wearable gel dispenser. According to an embodiment of the invention, at least the outer surfaces of the flexible fabric housing include an antibacterial fabric as will be understood by those skilled in the art. The antibacterial fabric also can sanitize the hands of healthcare personnel as a primary or secondary sanitizer.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the dispensing sponge preferably is in fluid communication with the aperture of the inner gel container and adapted to saturate the sponge with the gel to dispense the gel to hands of healthcare personnel. The size of the wearable dispensers, according to embodiments of the present invention, is preferably such that it readily can fit within the average size hand
Embodiments of the present invention also include a dispenser kit having a plurality of assembled disposable wearable gel dispensers positioned within a container. The plurality of disposable wearable gel dispensers are adapted to dispense sanitizing gel to one or more hands of healthcare personnel when attached to clothing or clothing accessories of healthcare personnel. Each of the plurality of disposable wearable gel dispensers can be disposed, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, after a predetermined amount of individual dispenses, e.g., fifty individual dispenses, or after a predetermined amount of time such as after a shift of a healthcare personnel. The kit, for example, can include one dispenser body and plurality of disposable, replaceable, or refillable gel housing containers, e.g., pouches, housings, or casings, that are then used to replace a used or empty container when healthcare personnel or other users use the sanitizing gel there.
Another embodiment of the present invention includes a dispenser kit of a wearable gel dispenser having a plurality of replaceable and refillable outer gel container housing and a dispenser body positioned within a container. Each of the plurality of outer gel container housing are adapted to position and house gel therein. The dispenser body, according to embodiments of the invention, is adapted to connect to the plurality of outer gel container housing to dispense sanitizing gel to one or more hands of healthcare personnel when attached to clothing or clothing accessories of healthcare personnel.
Embodiments of the present invention also include methods of dispensing sanitizing gel with a sanitizing gel dispenser to hands of an individual, such as a health personnel. Embodiments of a method include the step of actuating an ellipsoidal roller using a selective hand motion by healthcare personnel to supply gel to hands of healthcare personnel. In the alternative, embodiments of a method can include the step of squeezing a dispensing sponge to supply gel to hands of healthcare personnel. Another embodiment of a method includes wiping one or more hands on the outer surfaces of the sponge to sanitize said hands. Yet another embodiment of the method can include the step of apply one or more hands of a healthcare personnel to the outer surfaces of a flexible fabric housing to sanitize said hands.
An embodiment of a method also can include the step of attaching a dispenser according to any of the dispenser embodiments discussed herein to the clothing or clothing accessories of healthcare personnel. Embodiments of the methods, for example, can include the step of providing a selective portion of gel to the hands of healthcare personnel—the selective portion of the gel being significantly less than the amount of gel capable of being stored in the dispenser.
So that the manner in which the features and advantages of the invention, as well as others which will become apparent are attained and can be understood in more detail, a more particular description of the invention briefly summarized above may be had by reference to embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings, which drawings form a part of this specification. It is to be noted, however, that the drawings illustrate only embodiments of the present invention and, therefore, are not to be considered limiting of its scope as the invention may extend to other equally effective embodiments.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate embodiments of the present invention. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different fowls and should not be construed as limited to the illustrated embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
Although referred to by specific example, various other individual or personnel, e.g., industry, office, manufacturing, government, can also use the dispensers as will be understood by those skilled in the art, and the healthcare personnel example and reference herein includes these other areas of use and other personnel in these environments.
Embodiments of the present invention relate to apparatus and methods for dispensing sanitizing gel to one or more hands 105 of healthcare personnel 101 when the dispenser is attached to clothing or clothing accessories of healthcare personnel 103. Embodiments of the present invention, for example, can aid in reducing the spread of bacteria and infections by dispensing sanitizing gel using a wearable gel dispenser 100, 200, 400, 500, 600. The wearable gel dispenser 100, 200, 400, 500, 600, according to embodiments of the present invention, is actuated by an intuitive and natural hand motion. Embodiments of the wearable gel dispenser can include, for example, an ellipsoidal roller 120, 220, 320 adapted to dispense the gel when actuated by the hand motion of healthcare personnel to supply gel 50 to the ellipsoidal roller 120, 220, 320 and allow the gel to be applied in a rolling motion to the hands 105 of healthcare personnel. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention can provide, for example, cost-effective wearable sanitizing gel dispensers that are suitable for the healthcare environment, or any other environment that requires frequent hand sanitizing. For example, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, embodiments of the present invention can aid in effectively reducing the spread of bacteria in schools, professional kitchens, dentist offices, and hospitals.
As illustrated in
If healthcare personnel of a hospital, for example, visits with fifteen to twenty (15-20) patients per eight hour shift in a hospital or clinic, to comply with CDC hand hygiene guidelines the average healthcare personnel should sanitize their hands on average thirty to eighty (30-80) times per shift. Accordingly, in order to comply with hand hygiene guidelines in the healthcare environment, the gel dispensing should be in an intuitive and natural manner to promote frequent sanitization. Although healthcare personnel are warned against wiping their hands against their scrubs, healthcare personnel subconsciously do it anyway. By dispensing gel using a substantially similar motion, embodiments of the wearable sanitizing gel dispenser 100, 200, 400, 500, 600 aids in enabling healthcare personnel 101 to comply with CDC and WHO hand hygiene guidelines in an unburdensome, intuitive and cost-effective manner.
As illustrated in
Another embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in
The outer gel housing 201, according to embodiments of the present invention, includes a front wall 250, a back wall 254, and side walls 252. The outer gel housing 201 further includes a bottom wall 259 having a chamber 211 that protrudes outwardly. The chamber 211 can, for example, be adapted to position the aperture 206 of the inner gel container 202. The outer gel housing 201 further includes linking members 204 to detectably connect the outer gel container housing 201 to the dispenser body 216. As illustrated in
The outer gel container housing 102, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is adapted to position and house gel 50 therein. The outer gel container housing 102, according to the embodiment of the dispenser, has an aperture 106 formed in an end portion of outer gel container housing through which gel flows. The outer gel container housing 102, for example, can be a transparent flexible plastic that is rigid enough that it can hold its shape when positioned in the upright position such as polystyrene, or any other suitable plastic as will be understood by those skilled in the art. The outer gel container housing 102, according to embodiments of the present invention, has a substantially rectangular shape and the capacity of at least 100 milliliters of gel. This capacity should enable healthcare personnel to use the dispenser 100 to comply with the hand hygiene guidelines for at least half of an eight hour shift.
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According embodiments of the present invention, the dispenser body 116, 216, 316 connects to the outer gel container housing 102, 201, 401. The dispenser body 116, 216, 316 is a substantially rectangular shape, and is approximately the same length as the outer gel container housing 102, 202, 401. The dispenser body 116, 216, 316 can be made out of, for example, a light-weight polymeric material as will be understood by those skilled in the art. The dispenser body 116, 216, 316 is adapted to house an ellipsoidal roller 120, 220, 320 to rotatingly dispense gel to one or more hands 105 of healthcare personnel. As illustrated in
The dispenser body 116, 216, 316, according to embodiments of the present invention, also includes a roller seat 125, 225 formed in the front face of the front wall 130, 230, 230. The roller seat 125, 225, for example, can house the ellipsoidal roller 120, 220, 320 so that at least half of an outer circumference of medial portions of the ellipsoidal roller 120, 220, 320 is positioned within the inner surfaces of the dispenser body 116, 216, 316. As illustrated, for example, in
As illustrated in
According an embodiments of the present invention, the dispenser body 116, 216 includes a bottom wall 139, 239 connected to bottom ends of the side walls 132, 232, the back wall 134, 234, and the front wall 130, 230. As illustrated in
The valve 110, 210, according to embodiments of the present invention, is a circular shaped self-closing valve with an inside diameter in the range, for example, of approximately 0.50 to 0.75 inches. To dispense the gel, the valve matingly connects with the aperture of the outer gel container housing 102, or the inner gel container 202. The outer gel container housing 102 and the inner gel container 202 includes a penetrable material 107, 207 extending across the aperture 106, 206 to secure the gel within the inner surfaces of the outer gel container housing 102 and the inner gel container 202. As illustrated in
The ellipsoidal roller 120, 220, according to embodiments of the present invention, is adapted to connect to and seat within the roller seat 125, 225 of the dispenser body. To allow the roller 120, 220 to rotate about its major axis, i.e. its longest axis, the roller has a pair of pins 122 that are positioned on opposite ends of the roller along its major axis. The pins 122, 222 matingly connect to the pin slots 124, 224 and rotate therein when actuated by a selective hand motion.
The ellipsoidal shape of the roller 120, 220, 320 allows gel to rotatingly dispense to one or more hands 105 of healthcare personnel when actuated by a natural wiping motion in the up or down direction in orientation from the ground. The ellipsoidal roller 120, 220, 320 advantageously provides a larger surface area to efficiently dispense gel. The ellipsoidal shape of the roller also prevents the gel from seeping out the sides of the cavity 117, 217, 317 along the major axis. The positioning of the roller 120, 220, 320 within a cavity 117, 217, 317 on the front face 130, 230, 330 (instead of the bottom wall) also prevents gel from inadvertently seeping out. The gel 50 preferably contains 60%-95% alcohol, and dries within three seconds of being exposed to the atmosphere to further reduce the risk of inadvertent saturation. Commercial embodiments of the gel 50, for example, include Stat-Rinse Antiseptic Hand Gel.
As illustrated in
This positioning and arrangement enables only allow a selective potion of gel to dispense and rollingly apply to one or more hands 105 of healthcare personnel 101. The selective portion of gel being significantly less than the amount of gel capable of being stored in the outer gel housing 102 or inner gel container 202. As illustrated, for example, in
To enable the dispenser to be wearable and portable, embodiments of the present invention include a clothing attachment member 118, 518 connected to the dispenser body 116, 216 to attach the gel dispenser to the clothing or clothing accessories 103 of healthcare personnel 101. In the alterative, the clothing attachment member 118, 518 can attach to the outer gel container. The clothing attachment member 118, 518 can be in any suitable forms, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, including but not limiting to a Layard, a clip to attach to clothing or clothing attachment, or fast and loop fastens such as Velcro®. The clothing attachment member 118, 518 should be so that the dispenser 100, 200, 400, 500, 600 is in an orientation on the clothing or clothing accessories 103 of healthcare personnel as to allow gravity to cause gel to flow towards the aperture 106, 206 and to the ellipsoidal roller 120, 220. Moreover, the size of the dispenser 100, 200, 400, 500, 600, according to embodiments of the invention, is preferably such that it readily can fit within the average size hand, and be worn without substantially interfering with the working activities of healthcare personnel.
Another embodiment of the dispenser 500, as illustrated in
The antibacterial fabric 303, as understood by those skilled in the art, sanitizes surfaces it comes in contact with such as one or more hands 105 of healthcare personnel when applied thereto. Accordingly, an embodiment of the present invention can assist healthcare personnel 101 in sanitizing his or her hands 105 by wiping his or hands on the outer surfaces of the flexible fabric housing made out of the antibacterial fabric 303 alone when the dispenser 600 is attached to the clothing or clothing accessories 103 of healthcare personnel 101. The flexible fabric housing 303 made out of the antibacterial fabric can used to as a primary cleanser, e.g., used without the gel from the roller, or a secondary cleanser, e.g., used after gel is rollingly applied to the hands by the roller.
The dispenser 500, according to an embodiment of the present invention, can also include an ellipsoidal roller 320 in fluid communication with an aperture of the inner gel container 602. The ellipsoidal roller 320 is actuated by a selective hand motion of healthcare personnel to supply gel 50 to the roller 320, and allows the gel to rollingly apply to one or more hands 50 of healthcare personnel. See e.g.,
The dispenser body 316, according to an embodiment, is substantially rectangular, and is adapted to house the ellipsoidal roller 320 to rotating dispense gel to one or more hands 105 of healthcare personnel. Because the dispenser 500, according to this embodiment of the present invention, has a flexible fabric housing 501, the dispenser body 316 can be, for example, smaller than other embodiments of dispenser body disclosed herein. The dispenser body 316 includes a front wall 330 having a front face with a substantially ellipsoidal cavity 317 that the ellipsoidal roller 320 protrudes outwardly therefrom when positioned therein. The dispenser body 316, according to this embodiment of the present invention, also includes a roller seat formed in the front face 330 of the front wall. The roller seat, for example, can house the ellipsoidal roller 320 so that at least half of the ellipsoidal roller 320 is positioned within the inner surfaces of the dispenser body 316. See e.g.,
Similar to the other embodiments discussed herein, the dispenser body 316, according to this embodiment, also includes side walls 332, a back wall 334 and a bottom wall 339. The top wall 338 of the dispenser body, for example, can include a valve positioned thereon. The valve 210 matingly connects with the aperture 206 of the inner gel container 302 to allow the gel to flow therebetween. Substantially surrounding the valve 210, for example, is an aperture seat 212 to prevent the gel 50 from leaking between the aperture 206 and the valve 210.
As illustrated in
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the dispenser 600 also includes a dispensing sponge 420 in fluid communication with the aperture 106 of the inner gel container 602. The dispensing sponge 420, for example, can be elongated to provide a greater surface area for dispensing. As illustrated in
The dispenser 600, according to the embodiments of the present invention, is adapted to saturate the elongated sponge 420 with a selective amount of gel 50 to dispenser the gel to one or more hands 105 of healthcare personnel. The valve 110 is in fluid communication with the inner gel container 602 so that only a selective amount of gel enters within the inner surfaces of the elongated sponge 420 to thereby saturate it. As illustrated in
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Embodiments of the present invention can also include methods of dispensing sanitizing gel to one or more hands 105 of a healthcare personnel 101 when a sanitizing gel dispenser 100, 200, 400, 500, 600 is attached to the clothing or clothing accessories 103 of healthcare personnel 101. Embodiments of the method can include dispensing gel to hands healthcare personnel wearing a dispenser according to any of the embodiments discussed herein. For example, the method can include the step of, for example, providing an outer gel container housing 102, 201, 401 adapted to position and house an inner gel container 202,502, 602 therein. In the alternative, embodiments of a method of dispensing sanitizing gel 50 to one or more hands of healthcare personnel using a sanitizing gel dispenser 100, 200, 400, 500, 600 attached to the clothing or clothing accessories 103 of healthcare personnel 101 can providing an outer gel container 101, 202, 302, 402 housing adapted to position and house gel.
The method can also include the step of providing a dispenser body 116, 216, 316 with an ellipsoidal roller 120, 220, 320 positioned therein according to any of the embodiments of the apparatuses discussed herein. The method can further include the step of connecting the dispenser body 116, 216, 316 to the outer gel container housing 102, 201, 401. This connecting step can include using a valve 110, 210 disposed on a top end portion of the dispensing body 116, 216, 316 to puncture a penetrable material 107, 207 extended across of the aperture 106, 206 to allow gel to flow within the inner surfaces of the dispenser body.
Embodiments of the method can further include the step of attaching, the dispenser 100, 200, 400, 500 i.e., the connected dispenser body and the outer gel housing, to the clothing or clothing accessories 103 of healthcare personnel in an orientation that allow gravity to cause gel to flow towards the aperture 106, 206. Embodiments of the method can include the step of actuating the ellipsoidal roller 120, 220, 320 using a selective hand motion by healthcare personnel to supply gel to the ellipsoidal roller 120, 220, 320 with gel 50 and allow only a selective portion of gel to rollingly apply to one or more hands 105 of healthcare personnel 101. The selective portion of gel 50 being significantly less than the amount of gel capable of being stored in the outer gel housing container 102, 201, 401.
Embodiments of the method can include the step of apply one or more hands 105 of a healthcare personnel 101 to the outer surfaces of a flexible fabric 303 housing to sanitize said hands 105. As discussed above, this method of sanitizing can be used without the gel from the roller or elongated sponge, or after gel is rollingly applied to the hands by the roller.
Embodiments of the methods can include the step of providing a sponge 420 positioned adjacent a flexible fabric housing 303 and in fluid communication with an inner gel container 302 adapted to house gel 50. The method can further include sanitizing one or more hands 105 of healthcare personnel by squeezing the elongated sponge 420 or wiping the one or more hands to the outer surfaces of the elongated sponge 420.
This application claims benefit of, priority to, and is related to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/297346 filed on Jan. 22, 2010 titled, “Wearable Gel Dispensers,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to the mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the illustrated embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.
This application claims benefit of, priority to, and is related to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/297346 filed on Jan. 22, 2010 titled, “Wearable Gel Dispenser,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61297346 | Jan 2010 | US |