MEDICAL MONITORING SYSTEM BASED ON SOUND ANALYSIS IN A MEDICAL ENVIRONMENT

• US 20140275856A1
• Filed: 09/25/2012
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Falck, Thomas, Den Brinker, Albertus Cornelis, Kohlrausch, Armin Gerhard
• Granted Patent: US 9,659,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/03 Intensive care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/333 Recording apparatus specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/38 Acoustic or auditory stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/398 Electrooculography [EOG], e.g. detecting nystagmus; Electroretinography [ERG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4815 Sleep quality
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4884 inducing physiological or psychological stress, e.g. applications for stress testing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

The invention relates to a medical monitoring system (100) based on sound analysis in a medical environment. A sound level analyzer (SLA, 10) is capable of providing an indicator for perceived levels of sound from a number of sound events, and a data storage modality (DSM, 20) is receiving and storing said indicator for perceived levels of sound and also corresponding information from an associated patient monitoring system (PMS, 60) handling information indicative of a physical and/or mental condition of a patient under influence by sound. A sound event analyzer (SEA, 30) is further being arranged for performing, within a defined time window, an overall sound analysis (ANA, 50) related to physical and/or mental condition of the patient that may be influenced by sound in order to assist or supervise medical personal with respect to the acoustic environment.

Claims

1. A medical monitoring system based on sound analysis in a medical environment, the system comprising:

a sound level analyzer, the sound-level analyzer being arranged for receiving an audio signal indicative of sound near a patient, the sound-level analyzer being capable of providing an indicator for perceived levels of sound from a number of sound events, and

a data storage modality, the data storage modality being arranged for receiving and storing said indicator for perceived levels of sound from the number of sound events from the sound level analyzer, and receiving and storing corresponding information from an associated patient monitoring system handling information indicative of a physical and/or mental condition of a patient under influence by sound, and

a sound event analyzer, the sound event analyzer being arranged for receiving from the data storage modality said indicator for perceived levels of sound from the number of sound events, and corresponding information from the associated patient monitoring system (PMS), the sound event analyzer further being arranged for performing, within a defined time window, an overall sound analysis related to physical and/or mental condition of the patient that may be influenced by sound, and

a sound scene analyzer for cooperating with the sound level analyzer, the sound scene analyzer being arranged for receiving said audio signal indicative of sound near a patient in the medical environment and being arranged for analyzing and classifying the audio signal so as to obtain a list of one, or more, sound sources in the medical environment surrounding the patient;

wherein the classifying of said one, or more, sound sources is applied in the overall sound analysis to identify possible sources of negative influence on the rest and/or sleep of said patient.

2. The medical monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the sound level analyzer comprises a perceptual model for providing perceived loudness.

3. The medical monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the sound level analyzer further provides a measure of the accumulated acoustic dose.

4. The medical monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the associated patient monitoring system comprises information related to the physical activity level of the patient.

5. The medical monitoring system according to claim 4, wherein the associated patient monitoring system comprises information obtainable from the list comprising:

electrodiagnosis, such as EEG, ECG, EOG, EMG, actigraphy, movement detection, video-based monitoring and/or sound-based monitoring.

8. The medical monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the overall sound analysis comprises information related to the quality and/or quantity of the rest and/or sleep of the patient.

9. The medical monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein the overall sound analysis comprises a measure of one or more of the following indicators;

average sound level

sound impact based on said perceptual model

estimate of restorative period(s)

estimated annoyance, and/or

an overall sleep/rest indicator, possibly a qualitative indicator.

10. The medical monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring system is arranged for monitoring a first plurality of patients with a second plurality of microphones, the microphones being arranged for communication with the monitoring system.

11. The medical monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring system is arranged for communication with one or more communication devices, the communication devices being accessible by medical personal, optionally visitors and/or patients.

14. The medical monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the sound event analyzer is arranged for classifying identified sound events from the list of sound sources into avoidable/unavoidable sound sources.

15. The medical monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein the sound event analyzer is arranged for distinguishing essential and thus unavoidable alarm sounds from unnecessary and thus avoidable ones based on a training on information from a patient monitoring system(s) and/or a hospital central monitoring database.

6. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

12. A method for operating a medical monitoring system based on sound analysis in a medical environment, the method comprising:

providing a sound level analyzer, the sound-level analyzer being arranged for receiving an audio signal indicative of sound near a patient, the sound-level analyzer being capable of providing an indicator for perceived levels of sound from a number of sound events, and

providing a data storage modality, the data storage modality being arranged for receiving and storing said indicator for perceived levels of sound from the number of sound events from the sound level analyzer, and receiving and storing corresponding information from an associated patient monitoring system handling information indicative of physical and/or mental condition of a patient under influence by sound, and

providing a sound event analyzer, the sound event analyzer being arranged receiving from the data storage modality said indicator for perceived levels of sound from the number of sound events, and corresponding information from the associated patient monitoring system, the sound event analyzer further being arranged for performing, within a defined time window, an overall sound analysis related to physical and/or mental condition of the patient that may be influenced by sound, and

providing, a sound scene analyzer for cooperating with the sound level analyzer, the sound scene analyzer being arranged for receiving said audio signal indicative of sound near a patient in the medical environment and being arranged for analyzing and classifying the audio signal so as to obtain a list of one, or more, sound sources in the medical environment surrounding the patient;

wherein the classifying of said one, or more, sound sources is applied in the overall sound analysis to identify possible sources of negative influence on the rest and/or sleep of said patient.

13. A computer program product being adapted to enable a computer system comprising at least one computer having data storage means in connection therewith to control a medical monitoring system based on sound analysis in a medical environment according to claim 12.