A new type of 'door handle' that sanitises hands and contains a sensor to monitor how often it is used could cut down on hospital acquired infections.
The handle, PullClean, looks ordinary, but a blue section at the bottom pumps out hand sanitiser when pushed.
The device is equipped with a software that not only monitors how often people sanitise their hands, but also how much sanitiser is in the handle.
The handle was developed by the British studio Agency of Design for Altitude Medical.
Agency of Design began trials of the device in US hospitals and found rates of hand sanitising jumping from 22 per cent to 77 per cent, 'Discovery News' reported.
According to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 25 patients in US hospitals acquires an infection during their stay in the hospital.
"Hospital acquired infections kill 100,000 people in the US each year," said Jake McKnight, CEO of Altitude Medical.
"You can't force people to sanitise their hands. Every effort has been made to remind people to sanitise, usually at massive cost and to no avail," he was quoted as saying by Dezeen magazine.
This costs hospitals in America USD 45 billion a year, McKnight said.
PullClean is expected to hit the market later this year and will sell for USD 200.
