Clean Hand Scanner

June 3, 2009

Think of it as a “Breathalyzer” for your hands. Sensors on this “Hy-Green” scanner developed by University of Florida researchers check health-care workers’ hand hygiene by detecting sanitizer or soap fumes on their hands. And, if there isn’t any, they get a little buzz on a badge they wear on their shirt.

Dr. Richard Melker/UF anesthesiology researcher: “By reminding health care workers to wash their hands, and by having a record of each time that they wash their hands before they enter the proximity of the patient, the hospital will be better able to track who is washing their hands and who isn’t. And, also to be able to track infections better.”

The World Health Organization says 250 people die each day from hospital-acquired infections, which are easily transmitted by not washing your hands.

Dr. Richard Melker/UF anesthesiology researcher: “MRSA is frequently acquired while the patient is in the hospital, and if we don’t have antibiotics to treat it, then many of those patients could die. So, it’s extremely important that health care workers do everything to reduce the incidence of hospital acquired infections.”

Past studies show clean hands could cut hospital-acquired infections in half. And experts say this new technology could also save billions of dollars in the treatment of those infections.