Apparatus and method to monitor the usage of a network system of personal hand sanitizing dispensers

Abstract

Disclosed are a type of institutional or hospital network system of personal, portable hand cleaning agent dispensers and a method to record and report their specific usage by healthcare workers and patients of the institution or hospital through a dispenser control apparatus having a computer processor memory. In one form, each dispenser has an identifier unique to it and shared with no other dispenser. Each dispenser contains hand cleaning fluid agent in an amount sufficient to provide multiple shots of predetermined amount (or unit dose size) upon pressing a pad on the dispenser to dispense one shot per press. Each worker has an identifier unique to that worker. In one form, dispensers are refillable and are issued from and returned to a control station that refills the dispensers and for each of them, records into a computer, the dispenser by that dispenser's unique identifier, the worker by that worker's unique identifier, and the quantity of hand cleaning fluid used by said dispenser, and reports from the data collected by said computer, who used what dispenser, during what time frame, and how much hand cleaning fluid was used by said worker using said dispenser during said time frame. In other forms, the dispensers have replaceable throw-away, agent-containing cartridges of single or multiple storage compartments, the dispensers being refillable with new cartridges from control and release stations.