FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an improved system and method for an effective cleaning and disinfecting protocol. More particularly, the invention relates to a system and method for verifying that an effective cleaning and disinfecting protocol has been performed. In an advantageous embodiment, the invention is a system and method for verifying that a prescribed cleaning and disinfecting protocol has been performed by environmental services personnel at a healthcare facility using an effective disinfectant agent.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many facilities, including hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, schools and public terminals, are highly susceptible to multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs), commonly referred to as infectious bacteria and viruses. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) estimates that infections acquired from healthcare and food service facilities kill more individuals each year than vehicle accidents, breast cancer or AIDS. As a result, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prescribe effective cleaning and disinfecting procedures to be used in facilities that provide healthcare services and/or food services. In response, hospitals, nursing homes, prisons and schools have instituted detailed cleaning and disinfecting protocols along with intensive training programs for environmental services personnel to ensure that areas accessed by patients, staff and the public are clean and hygienic.

The aforementioned facilities, especially healthcare facilities, have historically utilized a variety of high, medium and low level disinfectants, including formaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid and chlorine-releasing agents (CRAs), including sodium hypochlorite, iodophor and phenol solutions. More recently, Hypochlorous acid (HOCI) has been introduced as a more effective and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional disinfecting agents. Hypochlorous acid is a weak acid formed when chlorine dissolves in water and partially dissociates. Consequently, Hypochlorous acid acts as an oxidizer and a primary disinfecting agent in a chlorine solution. The beneficial characteristics attributed to Hypochlorous acid include that it is a highly effective disinfecting agent for destroying infectious bacteria and viruses, most notablyC. diff, E. Coli, MRSA (Staph), Salmonella, Tuberculosis, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Despite being highly effective, Hypochlorous acid is relatively harmless to humans at a concentration sufficient for effective cleaning and disinfecting. Consequently, Hypochlorous acid is an approved cleaning agent and disinfectant for use in hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, schools and public terminals.

Other cleaning and disinfectant agents commonly used in the aforementioned facilities are not as environmentally friendly or as effective as Hypochlorous acid in destroying harmful and deadly bacteria and viruses. As a result, it is not uncommon for individuals to contract serious illnesses from the bacteria and viruses at the aforementioned facilities that are cleaned with other disinfectants. The inability to effectively destroy infectious organisms increases healthcare costs and causes physical harm to individuals that could have been prevented with the use of the more effective Hypochlorous acid disinfectant agent.

Although highly effective, Hypochlorous acid has a limited lifespan of effectiveness as a disinfectant agent. Over time Hypochlorous acid decomposes to chloric acid, hydrochloric acid, and oxygen; none of which separately exhibit the same desirable disinfectant properties as Hypochlorous acid. The lifespan of effectiveness for Hypochlorous acid as a disinfectant agent is typically around thirty (30) days from the time it is produced. Consequently, it is imperative to take steps to ensure that an effective Hypochlorous acid disinfectant solution is being used by environmental services personnel in an established cleaning and disinfecting protocol at facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, schools and public terminals. In particular, it is essential that environmental services personnel use a Hypochlorous acid disinfectant solution within its thirty (30) day lifecycle of effectiveness.

U.S. Pat. No. 9,679,170 assigned to Prime ITS of Houston, Tex., USA discloses a system and method for monitoring the distribution a disinfectant agent having an expiration, such as a Hypochlorous acid disinfectant solution, and tracking its volume use as a disinfectant solution. The system and method taught by the patent ensures that a disinfectant solution in a container is within its allocated expiration by tracking the physical container itself and monitoring the volume of the disinfectant solution in the container. However, the Prime ITS system and method does not verify that an effective cleaning and disinfecting protocol has been performed, or provide the functionality necessary to satisfy EPA and FDA compliance and reporting requirements for a prescribed cleaning and disinfecting protocol.

A cleaning and disinfecting protocol using Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide (AHP) is disclosed in a white paper available from Virox™ Technologies, Inc. of Ontario, Canada entitled “Patient Room Cleaning And Disinfection Protocol.” Another cleaning and disinfecting protocol for use by environmental services personnel at healthcare facilities is disclosed in a study guide published by SSS® Triple S Healthcare Solutions of Billerica, Mass. entitled “Cleaning and Disinfecting the Occupied Patient Room.” The SSS® study guide teaches that a proper cleaning and disinfecting process assists in preventing cross-transmission of MDROs among patients, staff and visitors through contact with contaminated surfaces in a patient room. The SSS® study guide provides environmental services personnel with education and training regarding cleaning cart set-up, work scheduling, and safety procedures consistent with performing an effective cleaning and disinfecting protocol. Nevertheless, additional measures must be implemented to verify that the environmental services personnel have actually adhered to the prescribed cleaning and disinfecting protocol to satisfy EPA and FDA compliance and reporting requirements.

In view of the foregoing, it is apparent a need exists for an improved system and method for an effective cleaning and disinfecting protocol. A more particular need exists for a system and method for verifying that an effective cleaning and disinfecting protocol has been performed. Furthermore, a specific need exists for a system and method for verifying that a prescribed cleaning and disinfecting protocol has been performed by environmental services personnel at a healthcare facility using a disinfectant agent within its lifecycle of effectiveness. Such a system and method for an effective cleaning and disinfecting protocol advantageously includes features of data management, tracking, analysis and reporting functionality to satisfy EPA and FDA compliance and reporting requirements.

Certain aspects, objects, features and advantages of the invention will be made apparent, or will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the relevant art, with reference to the exemplary embodiments of the invention described herein and shown in the accompanying drawing figures. It is intended that the certain aspects, objects, features and advantages of the invention set forth herein be encompassed by the ordinary and customary meaning of the elements, terms and limitations of the appended claims given their broadest reasonable interpretation and construction within the context of this disclosure. Some or all aspects, objects, features and advantages of the invention, as well as others not expressly or inherently disclosed herein, may be accomplished by one or more of the exemplary embodiments described and shown in the accompanying drawing figures. However, it should be appreciated that the written description and drawing figures are for illustrative purposes only, and that many modifications, substitutions or revisions may be made to the exemplary embodiments without departing from the general concepts of the invention and the intended scope of the appended claims as broadly interpreted and properly construed.

