Hand sanitizer has long been a staple material in the healthcare industry and in hospital settings. As the COVID-19 outbreak set in, the CDC announced the use alcohol-based hand sanitizers as the preferred material for hand hygiene in healthcare settings.
Keeping hand sanitation stations filled is critical in this environment. An empty hand sanitizer station prevents healthcare workers from obtaining the materials they need. Without human intervention, the hand sanitizer dispenser will run out and remain useless until its empty status is both noticed and – necessarily – reported. Worse, an empty dispenser continues to be a signal for a necessary material that is not actually available, causing frustration and confusion. This issue is not unique to healthcare facilities, but applies also to any company that has been offering to customers or employees hand sanitizer as part of ongoing safety protocols.
Instead of waiting for sanitizer to run out, dispensers can use Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity to monitor the availability of product. These connected technology products streamline what would otherwise be a manual, human process wrought with delays and misjudgments that cost real time & money. The internet-connected dispensers – paired with a cloud platform – collect and analyze data so the system can automatically signal an empty dispenser and even order replacement sanitizer before materials run out.
In addition to monitoring the product, the system can monitor activity around the dispenser to determine if the machines are being used at an appropriate frequency. Embedded Planet’s wireless connectivity solutions – such as the Agora multi-functional wireless node with integrated sensors – create the connectivity needed for a system like this. These products allow for the wireless monitoring and data transmission of IoT systems. Even the small footprint of the Agora board (70mm x 45mm) contributes toward its design consideration of being easily integrated into product designs.
These modules can work in conjunction with existing data setups from companies like Microsoft – including for the hand sanitizer dispenser applications. Monitoring and connectivity can be enabled through the MS Azure IoT platform to funnel data to an analytics portal. This information allows healthcare facilities to monitor thousands of dispensers and ensure sanitizer is available when & where it’s needed.
With the demand for appropriate sanitation maintaining a strong grip in healthcare and consumer locations, facilities can easily struggle to understand fluctuating resource availability. By creating an IoT-connected solution using Embedded Planet solutions, companies can establish an additional level of stability through streamlining & automating the maintenance of their critical sanitization processes.
If you are interested in exploring an IoT innovation in the healthcare field, please contact our team to learn more about how we can serve you through our epConnected products and our Embedded System Design Services.
