3M and Patient Care Technology Systems Collaborate on State-of-the-Art Automated Hand Hygiene Solution to Improve Compliance

RTLS data monitors patients, caregivers, and equipment for regulatory compliance and infection-containment protocols.
 
St. Paul, MN and Charlotte, NC, February 26, 2010 — 3M and Patient Care Technology Systems (PCTS), a subsidiary of Consulier Engineering, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSLR), announced that they have signed an agreement to bring a state-of-the-art automated hand hygiene compliance solution to healthcare customers globally.

“The agreement with PCTS combines their industry-leading technology with our proven expertise in hand hygiene, and strengthens our goal of reducing hospital acquired infections and improving patient outcomes,” said Debra Rectenwald, division vice president, 3M Infection Prevention. “Together, PCTS and 3M will bring an innovative solution to market that helps our healthcare customers better meet stringent regulatory and reporting requirements.”

The system will be based on PCTS’ Amelior 360° Hand Hygiene™ module, a hand hygiene compliance solution designed for hospitals, surgical centers, clinics, and health care facilities. Using real-time locating system (RTLS) technology and specialized hand hygiene dispenser attachments, the technology includes PCTS’ tracking and workflow orchestration engine, which automatically and continuously evaluates staff members’ hand hygiene activities throughout a patient encounter. Caregivers are notified when they have or have not complied with appropriate protocols.

The system also alerts supervisory personnel to coaching opportunities when a caregiver repeatedly fails to comply with hand hygiene guidelines during a shift, or when a worker’s failure to comply with hand hygiene guidelines for one patient may cross-contaminate a different patient.

“3M is a worldwide leader in technology and healthcare innovation, and through our collaboration we will be able to extend the reach of hand hygiene compliance automation,” said Tony Marsico, president and chief executive officer of PCTS. “With more focus on reduction of HAIs than ever before, our new technology will help healthcare facilities worldwide improve communication, enhance coordination, streamline process flow, and most importantly, improve hand hygiene compliance.”

About 3M Infection Prevention Division
The 3M Infection Prevention Division offers healthcare professionals leadership solutions to minimize the risks of healthcare-associated infections. Combining science and technology, 3M has introduced more than 40 distinct technology platforms and a comprehensive portfolio of quality products that help the healthcare industry define and address current infection prevention best practices. 3M Infection Prevention remains a trusted partner committed to helping customers lead the way in reducing the risk of infection. For more information, visit www.3M.com/infectionprevention.

About 3M Health Care
3M Health Care, one of 3M’s six major business segments, provides world-class innovative products and services to help healthcare professionals improve the practice, delivery and outcome of patient care in medical, oral care, drug delivery and health information markets. Learn more at www.3m.com/healthcare.

About Patient Care Technology Systems
Patient Care Technology Systems, a subsidiary of Consulier Engineering, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSLR), helps health care providers to improve patient flow, increase capacity and improve patient and staff safety by visualizing the real-time location and status of patients and equipment throughout their facility. Proven return on investment in high turnover, high acuity departments such as the emergency department and perioperative suite where PCTS solutions support 2 million patient visits annually. The Amelior Enterprise Visibility Suite™ is compatible with all leading locating technologies including active-RFID, infrared, ultrasound, ultra-wideband, Wi-Fi and ZigBee. PCTS customers have been recognized nationally for improvements in efficiency and clinical excellence. For more information, visit www.pcts.com.