System for bacteria scanning and hand sanitization

1. An apparatus for detecting bacteria on a user's hands, said apparatus comprising the following components:

a means of providing electrical power,

an electrically powered ultraviolet light emitter,

a screen, and a case wherein said means of providing electrical power provides electrical power to said ultraviolet light emitter and

wherein said case comprises an interior space and at least one opening through which a user may place at least one hand into said interior space;

wherein said case comprises that said screen is positioned between said interior space and the outside of said apparatus such that, when a user's hand is placed into said interior space, an image of said at least one hand is seen on said screen and viewed from outside said apparatus;

wherein said ultraviolet light emitter emits, into said interior space, ultraviolet light where the intensity of each wavelength of said ultraviolet light is below the limit value for said wavelength for the amount of time that said ultraviolet light emitter emits ultraviolet light,

where the definition of the said limit value for any wavelength of ultraviolet light, for any defined period of time, includes the safe limit value for a year multiplied by the fraction of a year encompassed by said period of time; and

wherein the hand fluoresces in response to the ultraviolet light and bacteria is detected through the different fluorescence of areas of the hand with and without bacteria.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a processor that responds to information created by fluorescence of a user's at least one hand when the user inserts said at least one hand into said interior space through said at least one opening in said case.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 where said processor is programmed to determine the proportion of the surface area contaminated by bacteria of any of the user's hands inserted into said interior space.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 where said screen is an electronic screen, said apparatus includes a camera that captures said image of said at least one hand, and where the electronic screen displays the captured image.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , where said processor is programmed to determine, regarding a user's hand that has been inserted into said interior space, the areas of said hand that are, relative to other areas of said hand, brightly fluorescing due to the presence of bacteria the areas of said hand that are, relative to other areas of said hand, dimly fluorescing due to the lack of bacteria, the percentage of the total surface area of said hand that is, relative to other areas of said hand, brightly fluorescing; the percentage of the total surface area of said hand that is, relative to other areas of said hand, dimly fluorescing; and said processor is programmed to report the level of bacterial contamination to the user in response to the areas of said at least one hand that are relatively brightly fluorescing, the areas that are relatively dimly fluorescing, the percentage of the area of the hand that is brightly fluorescing, and the percentage of the area of the hand that is dimly fluorescing.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising one of the following items:

a. a circuit grid, projecting a series of gridlines onto said at least one hand when said at least one hand has been inserted into said interior space, in order to subdivide said captured image where said circuit grid is operatively connected to said processor that determines the percentage of subdivisions that are contaminated by bacteria by referencing the locations and fluorescence of all said subdivisions;

b. a mapping function with which said processor is capable of creating virtual maps of the fluorescence of said at least one hand, when said hand has been inserted into said interior space, and the processor determines the regions of said at least one hand that is contaminated by bacteria by referencing said mapped fluorescence.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a means of dispensing a detecting chemical mixture onto the user's at least one hand, where said detecting chemical mixture fluoresces in ultraviolet light or visible light or both ultraviolet and visible light and fluoresces more strongly when exposed to said light and to bacteria.

8. The device of claim 7 where said sterile substance is a combination of PNIPAM and vancomycin.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , where said detecting chemical mixture is a combination of PNIPAM and vancomycin.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 where said screen is a transparent window through which a user may view items in said interior space.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 where said ultraviolet light emitter emits ultraviolet light with wavelengths of between 255 and 240 nm.

12. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a component that transfers data and is capable of transferring said information created by fluorescence of said at least one hand from said processor to one or more receivers located remotely from said apparatus.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 adapted into a system to monitor the spread of bacterial contamination where said system includes least two of the apparatus at known locations, and the system monitors the spread of bacterial contamination in response to the information created by hand fluorescence, transferred by the at least two apparatus, and to the locations of the at least two apparatus.

14. A method for detecting bacteria on a user's hands, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an apparatus including the following components:

an electrical power source, an electrically powered ultraviolet light emitter, a screen, and a case where:

the electrical power source provides electrical power to the ultraviolet light emitter;

the case comprises an interior space, the screen, and at least one opening into the interior space through which the user may place at least one hand into the interior space; and

the screen is positioned so that, when the at least one hand is placed into said interior space, an image of the at least one hand is seen on the screen; and

where the ultraviolet light emitter emits ultraviolet light into the interior space where the intensity of the ultraviolet light at each wavelength emitted by said ultraviolet light emitter is below the safe limit value for said wavelength for the amount of time that said ultraviolet light emitter emits ultraviolet light, and the determination of the safe limit value for any wavelength of the ultraviolet light, for any defined period of time, includes the safe limit value for a year multiplied by the fraction of a year encompassed by said period of time;

(b) the user inserting the at least one hand through the at least one opening into said interior space;

(c) the ultraviolet light emitter emitting ultraviolet light upon the at least one hand and the at least one hand fluorescing in the presence of bacteria and the ultraviolet light;

(d) the screen presenting an image responsive to the fluorescing of the at least one hand; and

(e) the user detecting bacteria on the at least one hand by viewing the image presented by the screen.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , where said screen is a transparent window.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 where the screen includes a camera, an electronic display, and a processor where the processor is responsive to the image of the interior space created by said camera, and said processor presents information derived from said fluorescence of the at least one hand onto the electronic display.

17. The method of claim 14 , further including the step of providing a processor that is responsive to the fluorescence of objects within said interior space.

18. The method of claim 17 , where the processor includes a component that exchanges data pertaining to the fluorescence of objects within said interior space with one or more devices located remotely from said apparatus, and where the method includes the further step of exchanging said data between said component and said one or more devices.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of including the apparatus within a system to monitor the spread of bacterial contamination where said system includes least two of the apparatus at known locations, and the system monitors the spread in response to the fluorescence information exchanged by the at least two apparatus and their locations.

20. The method of claim 17 where said processor is programmed to determine whether said at least one hand is sufficiently bacteria free in response to said fluorescence; said method further comprising that said processor is operatively connected to a user indicator where said indicator is capable of signaling whether said hand is sufficiently bacteria free, based on criteria for whether said hand is sufficiently bacteria free; said method further comprising the steps of, after said ultraviolet light emitter emits ultraviolet light upon said hand:

firstly, said processor determining whether said hand is sufficiently bacteria free; and

secondly, said processor causing said indicator to signal whether said hand is sufficiently bacteria free.

21. The method of claim 20 , said method further comprising preventing the spread of bacterial contamination via hands within the students and staff of a school, and visitors to said school, said method comprising the additional steps of:

first, locating said apparatus within said school;

second, causing one of said students, staff, or visitors to insert their at least one hand into said opening into said interior space,

third, said processor determining whether said at least one hand is sufficiently bacteria free; and

fourth, said processor causing said indicator to signal whether said at least one hand is sufficiently bacteria free.

22. The method of claim 20 , said method further comprising one or more of the following:

(a) preventing the spread of bacterial contamination via the hands of the persons employed by an establishment offering cosmetic services where said method comprises the additional steps of:

first, locating said apparatus within an establishment offering cosmetic services;

second requiring persons employed by said establishment offering cosmetic services to each insert one or more hands into said opening into said interior space, at specific times;

third, said processor determining whether said hand is sufficiently bacteria free, based on criteria for whether said hand is sufficiently bacteria free;

fourth, said processor causing said indicator to signal whether said hand has met said criteria for being sufficiently bacteria free; and

fifth, requiring the owner of any hand that has not met said criteria for being sufficiently bacteria free to clean that hand;

(b) preventing the spread of bacterial contamination via the hands of persons employed by a business where said method further comprising the steps of:

first, locating said apparatus within a premises where said business operates;

second, requiring persons employed by said business to each insert one or more hands into an opening into said interior space, at specific times;

third, said processor determines whether said hand is sufficiently clean, based on criteria for whether said hand is sufficiently bacteria free;

fourth, said processor causes said indicator to signal whether said hand has met said criteria to be sufficiently bacteria free; and

fifth, requiring the owner of any hand that has not met said criteria for being sufficiently bacteria free to clean that hand;

(c) preventing the spread of bacterial contamination via the hands of the persons employed by an establishment offering health care services where said method further comprising the steps of:

first, locating said apparatus within said establishment offering health care services;

second, said method further comprising requiring persons employed by said establishment offering health care services to insert on or more hands into an opening into said interior space;

third, said processor determining whether said hand is sufficiently bacteria free, based on criteria for whether said hand is sufficiently bacteria free;

fourth, said processor causing said indicator to signal whether said hand has met said criteria for being sufficiently bacteria free; and

fifth, requiring the owner of any hand that has not met said criteria for being sufficiently bacteria free to clean that hand.

23. The method of claim 17 , said method further comprising the steps of:

first, providing multiple said apparatuses,

second, providing that each said apparatus is operatively connected with at least one external processor that is external to that specific apparatus, in a manner which allows the processor within that specific apparatus to send data recorded by said processor to said external processor; and to send any other data said processor has received from processors in other said apparatuses to said external processor;

third, providing that said external processor is capable of performing statistical calculations about the results of all said data recorded by said processors and transmitted directly or indirectly to said external processor, said statistical calculations including, but not limited to, the following:

the mean and standard deviation of the percentage of the surface area of the hands that are contaminated by bacteria and have been inserted within a specific period of time into the interior spaces of the apparatuses from which said external processor has directly or indirectly received data;

the differences between said mean and standard deviation during one period of time and said mean and standard deviation during a different period of time;

the percentage of the hands that are contaminated by bacteria and that have been inserted, within a specific period of time, into the interior spaces of the apparatuses from which said external processor has directly or indirectly received data, the differences between said percentage during one period of time and said percentage during a different period of time,

fourth, providing that said external processor creates a report of said statistical calculations.

24. A device for detecting pathogens contaminating the hand of a subject where the device includes:

an ultraviolet pathogen detection light source;

a means to project the ultraviolet pathogen detection light created by the ultraviolet pathogen detection light source onto the hand;

a means to elicit a detectable reaction where the detectable reaction is responsive to the presence of pathogens on the hand and to the ultraviolet pathogen detection light;

a screen by which the detectable reaction can be interpreted by the subject; and

a means to self-clean portions of the device to eliminate pathogens contaminating those portions of the device.

25. The device of claim 24 where said detectable reaction is a visible reaction.

26. The device of claim 25 where said screen includes a transparent component through which the subject can view said visible reaction.

27. The device of claim 24 further including a communication component adapted to exchange information about said detectable reaction with a remote communication apparatus.

28. The device of claim 27 adapted into a system to monitor the spread of pathogen contamination where said system includes least two of the apparatus at known locations, and the system monitors the spread of pathogen contamination in response to the information concerning fluorescence of users' hands, transferred by the at least two apparatus, and to the locations of the at least two apparatus.

29. The device of claim 24 further comprising:

an enclosure into which said hand may be introduced through an opening into said enclosure with said ultraviolet pathogen detection light source adapted to project said ultraviolet pathogen detection light within the enclosure and onto the hand; and

a means to control the activation and inactivation of said ultraviolet pathogen detection light source in response to the hand being introduced into the enclosure.

30. The device of claim 29 where said means to control the activation and inactivation of said ultraviolet pathogen detection light source is responsive to sensors selected from the list comprising:

a) a light source whose light is blocked when said hand is introduced into said enclosure, and a sensor for detecting whether the light from said light source is blocked;

b) a sound source whose sound is blocked when said hand is introduced into said enclosure, and a sensor for detecting whether the sound from said sound source is blocked;

c) a voice detector;

d) a motion detector responsive the motion of said hand; and

e) a switch or button that is activated when said hand is introduced into said enclosure.

31. The device of claim 29 where said means to self-clean is a high intensity self-cleaning ultraviolet light adapted to bathe, with ultraviolet light, the interior surfaces of said enclosure where the intensity of the self-cleaning ultraviolet light is greater than the intensity of the ultraviolet pathogen detection light.

32. The device of claim 29 where said means to self-clean is a pathogen eliminating gas released within said enclosure.

33. The device of claim 32 where said pathogen eliminating gas is nitrogen dioxide.

34. The device of claim 32 where, prior to release of said pathogen eliminating gas, a mechanical screen is activated to cover all said openings into said enclosure to keep the pathogen eliminating gas from escaping said enclosure.

35. The device of claim 24 where said means to cause said detectable reaction is a sterile substance applied to said hand and distributed over the surface of the hand by the subject, and the substance produces the detectable reaction in response to the presence of both pathogens on the hand and said ultraviolet pathogen detection light.

36. The device of claim 24 where said device includes:

a camera adapted to image said detectable reaction;

a processor to receive data including the image adapted by the camera;

a computer program instructing the processor to inspect the data and evaluate the level of pathogen presence on the said hand; and

a display, visible to the subject and operatively connected to the processor, on which the processor informs the subject of the level of said pathogen presence on his hand.

37. A method for detecting pathogens contaminating the hand of a subject including the following steps:

a) providing a device having:

an ultraviolet pathogen detection light source and a means to project the ultraviolet pathogen detection light created by the ultraviolet pathogen detection light source onto the hand of the subject;

a means to elicit a detectable reaction where the detectable reaction is responsive to the presence of pathogens on the hand and to the ultraviolet pathogen detection light;

a screen responsive to, and capable of displaying, the detectable reaction;

a means to self-clean the device to eliminate pathogens contaminating the device; and

a means to activate the self-cleaning means in response to the detectable reaction;

b) arranging that the subject places the means of eliciting a detectable reaction onto the surface of his hand, and then places the hand into the path of the ultraviolet pathogen detection light to elicit the detectable reaction, and the subject detects pathogen contamination by interpreting the response to the detectable reaction displayed on the screen; and

c) activating the self-cleaning means in order to inactivate pathogens contaminating portions of the device after the user has withdrawn his or her hand from those portions of the device.

38. The method of claim 37 where step b) includes the steps of 1) activating and 2) inactivating the ultraviolet pathogen detection light source in response to the presence of said hand as detected by sensors selected from the list:

a) a light source whose light is blocked when said hand is introduced into said enclosure, and

b) a sensor for detecting whether the light from said light source is blocked;

c) a sound source whose sound is blocked when said hand is introduced into said enclosure, and a sensor for detecting whether the sound from said sound source is blocked;

d) a voice detector;

e) a motion detector responsive the motion of said hand; and

f) a switch or button that is activated when said hand is introduced into said enclosure.

39. The method of claim 37 where said detectable reaction is visible and said screen includes a transparent component through which the subject can view the visible reaction.

40. The method of claim 37 where providing a screen in step a) comprises the following steps:

providing a camera adapted to image said detectable reaction;

providing a processor to receive data including the image adapted by the camera;

providing a computer program instructing the processor to inspect the data and evaluate the level of pathogen presence on said hand; and

providing a display, visible to the subject and operatively connected to the processor, on which the processor informs the subject of the level of said pathogen presence on the hand.

41. The method of claim 37 where step a) further includes the step providing a communication component adapted to exchange, with a remote communication apparatus, information responsive to said detectable reaction.

42. The method of claim 41 further comprising the step of including the apparatus within a system to monitor the spread of pathogen contamination where said system includes least two of the apparatus at known locations, and the system monitors the spread in response to the fluorescence information exchanged by the at least two apparatus and their locations.

43. The method of claim 37 where step a) further comprises the steps:

providing an enclosure into which said hand may be introduced through an opening with said ultraviolet pathogen detection light source adapted to project said ultraviolet pathogen detection light within the enclosure and onto the hand; and

providing a means to control the activation and inactivation of said ultraviolet pathogen detection light source in response to the hand being introduced into the enclosure.

44. The method of claim 43 where said self-cleaning means is a high intensity self-cleaning ultraviolet light source adapted to bathe the interior surfaces of said enclosure where the intensity of said self-cleaning ultraviolet light is greater than the intensity of said ultraviolet pathogen detection light.

45. The method of claim 43 where said self-cleaning means is a pathogen eliminating gas released within said enclosure.