10.3205/DGKH000167
Preiss, Stefan
Stefan
Preiss
Kramer, Axel
Axel
Kramer
Foot-operated door opener to eliminate the door handle as a source of contamination
German Medical Science GMS Publishing House
2011
JournalArticle
door handle
risk of contamination
mechanical foot-operated door opener
610 Medical sciences; Medicine
2011-12-15
2011
en
urn:nbn:de:0183-dgkh0001679
dgkh000167
text/html
GMS Krankenhaushygiene Interdisziplinär; 6(1):Doc10; ISSN 1863-5245
Aim: As door handles represent a transmission route for viruses and micro-organisms, a door opening and closing mechanism should be developed without manual operation.
Method: To solve the problem, a device for opening the door with the help of a foot pedal was built into the door leaf.
Results: The design enables mechanical opening of the door with a foot pedal without manual operation. Subsequently, the door closes with the help of a mechanical locking mechanism.
Discussion: The foot-operated door opener constitutes an additional option to the door handle. Together with the equipment of a soft closing mechanism, it is possible to prevent noise emanating from the door latch impinging on the door frame. Using this construction, the door handle as a transmission vector is eliminated. In addition, the transport of goods held with two hands simultaneously is facilitated.
Conclusion: With a foot-operated door opener instead of the traditional manual door handle, it is possible to open doors with a foot pedal. This prevents contamination of door handles with pathogens.
GMS Krankenhaushygiene Interdisziplinär; 6(1):Doc10; ISSN 1863-5245