Hand washing is the single most important procedure for preventing infections, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nevertheless, contaminated healthcare workers' hands continue to play a major role in transmitting infections, contributing to prolonged hospital stays, long-term disability, increased bacterial resistance to antibiotics, high costs for hospitals and patients, and even death. The HyGreen® Hand Hygiene and Recording System, designed by HyGreen, Inc., is an innovative solution that actively reminds busy healthcare workers to wash their hands, and records all hand-washing events and patient-staff interactions in the hospital environment. The HyGreen system uses low-power wireless chip technology from NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) to capture and transmit data on hand washing by healthcare workers, helping to improve hospital hygiene significantly.
HyGreen is using the NXP JN5139 wireless microcontroller and the JenNet wireless network protocol stack optimized for low-power, low-data rate, cost-sensitive applications, and plans to start using the JN5148 microcontroller later this year. Based on the IEEE 802.15.4 specification, JenNet enables a robust, self-healing network that helps HyGreen track all hand-washing events, as well as which patient bed each healthcare worker has visited, allowing hospitals to effectively monitor adherence to hand hygiene protocols.
The HyGreen Hand Hygiene and Recording System is now used in leading US hospitals such as St. Jude's Children's Hospital, University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago, and the Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center. After cleaning his or her hands with soap or gel, a healthcare worker places them under a HyGreen sensor which sends a wireless "all clean" message to his or her HyGreen badge, which then blinks green. When the healthcare worker approaches a patient bed, the HyGreen monitor above the bed checks if the badge is transmitting an "all clean" signal. If the badge is not green, the badge vibrates, reminding the healthcare worker to wash. Reports on hand-washing compliance are available to hospital management in real time.
"Leading hospitals are counting on us to deliver a hand hygiene system that improves personnel hygiene and ultimately helps to improve their bottom line by reducing healthcare-associated infections. NXP has helped us design and deliver a highly reliable solution that is cost-effective and very easy for hospitals to maintain," said Ron Youngblood, vice president of operations, HyGreen, Inc. "After months of use, the HyGreen Hand Hygiene and Recording System continues to offer excellent battery life, thanks to the ultra-low power consumption of NXP's wireless module, which uses only one-tenth the power required by WiFi."
In a recent study presented at the Annual Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Conference, Miami Children's Hospital reported that healthcare-associated infections were reduced by 89 percent during a seven-month period when the HyGreen Hand Hygiene Reminder System was used. The study also showed that the HyGreen components and tracking system performed with 100-percent accuracy, providing monitoring at the same intensity for all shifts in a busy pediatric oncology unit. In addition, HyGreen has received numerous accolades including the 2010 Medical Design Excellence Award and Popular Science's "Best of What's New" for 2009.
"The HyGreen Hand Hygiene Reminder System is a revolutionary solution that demonstrates how 'smart' wireless technologies can help to tackle a major challenge in the healthcare industry - improving patient care, saving lives and saving costs," said Jim Lindop, chief strategist, Low Power RF product line, NXP Semiconductors. "We look forward to working with HyGreen as the company continues to transform hygiene practices, not only in hospitals and clinics, but also in other environments such as schools and restaurants."
Information on the HyGreen Hand Hygiene Reminder System is available at: http://www.hygreeninc.com
Further information on NXP Low Power RF solutions for healthcare applications is available at: http://www.nxp.com/...
About HyGreen, Inc.
HyGreen, Inc. is an innovative technology company whose mission is to improve lives by safeguarding health through technology. Its HyGreen Hand Hygiene product provides hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, doctor's offices, restaurants and educational institutions with the tools to measure hand hygiene, improve hand hygiene behaviors, increase facility quality and decrease infection control costs.
Forward-looking Statements
This document includes forward-looking statements which include statements regarding NXP's business strategy, financial condition, results of operations, and market data, as well as any other statements which are not historical facts. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to be materially different from those projected. These factors, risks and uncertainties include the following: market demand and semiconductor industry conditions; the ability to successfully introduce new technologies and products; the end-market demand for the goods into which NXP's products are incorporated; the ability to generate sufficient cash, raise sufficient capital or refinance corporate debt at or before maturity; the ability to meet the combination of corporate debt service, research and development and capital investment requirements; the ability to accurately estimate demand and match manufacturing production capacity accordingly or obtain supplies from third-party producers; the access to production capacity from third-party outsourcing partners; any events that might affect third-party business partners or NXP's relationship with them; the ability to secure adequate and timely supply of equipment and materials from suppliers; the ability to avoid operational problems and product defects and, if such issues were to arise, to correct them quickly; the ability to form strategic partnerships and joint ventures and to successfully cooperate with alliance partners; the ability to win competitive bid selection processes to develop products for use in customers' equipment and products; the ability to successfully establish a brand identity; the ability to successfully hire and retain key management and senior product architects; and, the ability to maintain good relationships with our suppliers. In addition, this document contains information concerning the semiconductor industry and NXP's business segments generally, which is forward-looking in nature and is based on a variety of assumptions regarding the ways in which the semiconductor industry, NXP's market segments and product areas may develop. NXP has based these assumptions on information currently available, if any one or more of these assumptions turn out to be incorrect, actual market results may differ from those predicted. While NXP does not know what impact any such differences may have on its business, if there are such differences, its future results of operations and its financial condition could be materially adversely affected. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak to results only as of the date the statements were made. Except for any ongoing obligation to disclose material information as required by the United States federal securities laws, NXP does not have any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after we distribute this document, whether to reflect any future events or circumstances or otherwise. For a discussion of potential risks and uncertainties, please refer to the risk factors listed in our SEC filings. Copies of our SEC filings are available from on our Investor Relations website, www.nxp.com/investor or from the SEC website, www.sec.gov.
HyGreen is using the NXP JN5139 wireless microcontroller and the JenNet wireless network protocol stack optimized for low-power, low-data rate, cost-sensitive applications, and plans to start using the JN5148 microcontroller later this year. Based on the IEEE 802.15.4 specification, JenNet enables a robust, self-healing network that helps HyGreen track all hand-washing events, as well as which patient bed each healthcare worker has visited, allowing hospitals to effectively monitor adherence to hand hygiene protocols.
The HyGreen Hand Hygiene and Recording System is now used in leading US hospitals such as St. Jude's Children's Hospital, University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago, and the Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center. After cleaning his or her hands with soap or gel, a healthcare worker places them under a HyGreen sensor which sends a wireless "all clean" message to his or her HyGreen badge, which then blinks green. When the healthcare worker approaches a patient bed, the HyGreen monitor above the bed checks if the badge is transmitting an "all clean" signal. If the badge is not green, the badge vibrates, reminding the healthcare worker to wash. Reports on hand-washing compliance are available to hospital management in real time.
"Leading hospitals are counting on us to deliver a hand hygiene system that improves personnel hygiene and ultimately helps to improve their bottom line by reducing healthcare-associated infections. NXP has helped us design and deliver a highly reliable solution that is cost-effective and very easy for hospitals to maintain," said Ron Youngblood, vice president of operations, HyGreen, Inc. "After months of use, the HyGreen Hand Hygiene and Recording System continues to offer excellent battery life, thanks to the ultra-low power consumption of NXP's wireless module, which uses only one-tenth the power required by WiFi."
In a recent study presented at the Annual Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Conference, Miami Children's Hospital reported that healthcare-associated infections were reduced by 89 percent during a seven-month period when the HyGreen Hand Hygiene Reminder System was used. The study also showed that the HyGreen components and tracking system performed with 100-percent accuracy, providing monitoring at the same intensity for all shifts in a busy pediatric oncology unit. In addition, HyGreen has received numerous accolades including the 2010 Medical Design Excellence Award and Popular Science's "Best of What's New" for 2009.
"The HyGreen Hand Hygiene Reminder System is a revolutionary solution that demonstrates how 'smart' wireless technologies can help to tackle a major challenge in the healthcare industry - improving patient care, saving lives and saving costs," said Jim Lindop, chief strategist, Low Power RF product line, NXP Semiconductors. "We look forward to working with HyGreen as the company continues to transform hygiene practices, not only in hospitals and clinics, but also in other environments such as schools and restaurants."
Information on the HyGreen Hand Hygiene Reminder System is available at: http://www.hygreeninc.com
Further information on NXP Low Power RF solutions for healthcare applications is available at: http://www.nxp.com/...
About HyGreen, Inc.
HyGreen, Inc. is an innovative technology company whose mission is to improve lives by safeguarding health through technology. Its HyGreen Hand Hygiene product provides hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, doctor's offices, restaurants and educational institutions with the tools to measure hand hygiene, improve hand hygiene behaviors, increase facility quality and decrease infection control costs.
Forward-looking Statements
This document includes forward-looking statements which include statements regarding NXP's business strategy, financial condition, results of operations, and market data, as well as any other statements which are not historical facts. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to be materially different from those projected. These factors, risks and uncertainties include the following: market demand and semiconductor industry conditions; the ability to successfully introduce new technologies and products; the end-market demand for the goods into which NXP's products are incorporated; the ability to generate sufficient cash, raise sufficient capital or refinance corporate debt at or before maturity; the ability to meet the combination of corporate debt service, research and development and capital investment requirements; the ability to accurately estimate demand and match manufacturing production capacity accordingly or obtain supplies from third-party producers; the access to production capacity from third-party outsourcing partners; any events that might affect third-party business partners or NXP's relationship with them; the ability to secure adequate and timely supply of equipment and materials from suppliers; the ability to avoid operational problems and product defects and, if such issues were to arise, to correct them quickly; the ability to form strategic partnerships and joint ventures and to successfully cooperate with alliance partners; the ability to win competitive bid selection processes to develop products for use in customers' equipment and products; the ability to successfully establish a brand identity; the ability to successfully hire and retain key management and senior product architects; and, the ability to maintain good relationships with our suppliers. In addition, this document contains information concerning the semiconductor industry and NXP's business segments generally, which is forward-looking in nature and is based on a variety of assumptions regarding the ways in which the semiconductor industry, NXP's market segments and product areas may develop. NXP has based these assumptions on information currently available, if any one or more of these assumptions turn out to be incorrect, actual market results may differ from those predicted. While NXP does not know what impact any such differences may have on its business, if there are such differences, its future results of operations and its financial condition could be materially adversely affected. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak to results only as of the date the statements were made. Except for any ongoing obligation to disclose material information as required by the United States federal securities laws, NXP does not have any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after we distribute this document, whether to reflect any future events or circumstances or otherwise. For a discussion of potential risks and uncertainties, please refer to the risk factors listed in our SEC filings. Copies of our SEC filings are available from on our Investor Relations website, www.nxp.com/investor or from the SEC website, www.sec.gov.
