Remembering the important tasks of the day can sometimes be difficult and devices like Gruve have already attempted to use vibration as a prompt to help people remember to exercise. However, when it comes to hygiene in hospitals, regular handwashing can be vital to stopping the spread of diseases. A new solution from Israel – Hyginex – aims to ensure medical staff are keeping up with their hand washing regimens. Hyginex comprises of a smart handwash container and wristband that can communicate with each other. The container houses sensors and transmitters which detect the proximity of a wristband, worn by each member of staff. The wristband wirelessly sends data to the dispenser to alert it to the location of each hospital worker, tracking their movements around the ward. If staff have been working with a patient and attempt to move onto another, or if they move to leave the room without first washing their hands, the wristband vibrates and an LED flashes. An alert is also given if the staff member has not washed their hands for long enough or not vigorously enough, using motion sensors located on the wristband. At the end of the day, data collected by the dispensers and wristbands can be uploaded onto a computer to be analyzed by hospital managers, enabling them to review their hygiene strategies and make changes where necessary. The Hygenix system has the potential to reduce the spread of virus-based diseases in hospitals by simply providing staff with a gentle reminder to wash their hands, while also offering a sophisticated tool for analyzing this element of hospital management. Health centers around the world – could you benefit from such a device? Spotted by: Murray Orange