Medical

IPD’s developments in medical/surgical environments include the CHIPS (Clean Hands Infection Prevention System). This invention enables health care facilities to monitor 100 percent of hand hygiene opportunities and to evaluate the thoroughness of hand cleansing of staff and visitors. The hand-sanitation system helps reduce the fear of infection passed on from personnel in the medical and food industries. CHIPS is designed to be a major player in the war against the spread of infection in hospitals, restaurants, schools and other facilities.

Once installed, CHIPS makes sure everyone washes according to the standards set by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). First, CHIPS recognizes and records the presence of personnel in hand washing areas, then electronically supervises the procedure. During the process, the system provides voice and digital prompts to guide personnel through the proper procedure. Finally, CHIPS collects data via electronic sensors and generates custom compliance reports to help monitor usage and reduce instances of infection.

By drastically reducing infections caused by hospital and food-borne bacteria, CHIPS enables huge savings for hospitals, restaurants, food suppliers and taxpayers each year. Many insurance companies are even considering financial incentives to systems such as this that help reduce the spread of infection.

Another IPD application in the field of medicine includes the use of a specialty ink technology for a prominent Iomai project where transdermal “patches” were used rather than needles for the transfer of medications into the body.