Adaptive alarm system and method
First Claim
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1. A patient monitor, comprising:
- a processor configured to generate a default alarm signal in response to patient physiological data indicative of an alarm condition, and configured to modify the default alarm signal to generate a new alarm signal in response to an ambient sounds input and patient physiological data indicative of the alarm condition, wherein the new alarm signal comprises a different frequency such that the new alarm signal has a different tone and/or pitch compared to the default alarm signal; and
a user interface coupled to the processor and being operable to receive the new alarm signal generated by the processor and to provide a user-audible indication of the alarm condition, the user-audible indication being masked less by ambient sounds in an environment in which the patient monitor is located compared to the default alarm signal.
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Abstract
An adaptive-alarm system and its uses in the context of medical devices, such as patient monitors, are described. In one embodiment, the monitor has a processor configured to receive and analyze an input relating to ambient sounds. The monitor may generate an alarm signal in response to physiological data that meets a defined requirement, such as a physiological alarm condition. The alarm signal that is generated by the monitor is substantially free of masking by the ambient sounds.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A patient monitor, comprising:
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a processor configured to generate a default alarm signal in response to patient physiological data indicative of an alarm condition, and configured to modify the default alarm signal to generate a new alarm signal in response to an ambient sounds input and patient physiological data indicative of the alarm condition, wherein the new alarm signal comprises a different frequency such that the new alarm signal has a different tone and/or pitch compared to the default alarm signal; and a user interface coupled to the processor and being operable to receive the new alarm signal generated by the processor and to provide a user-audible indication of the alarm condition, the user-audible indication being masked less by ambient sounds in an environment in which the patient monitor is located compared to the default alarm signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A patient monitoring system, comprising:
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a patient monitor having; a processor configured to generate a default alarm signal in response to patient physiological data indicative of an alarm condition, and configured to modify the default alarm signal to generate a new alarm signal in response to an ambient sounds input and patient physiological data indicative of the alarm condition, wherein the new alarm signal comprises a different frequency such that the new alarm signal has a different tone and/or pitch compared to the default alarm signal; and a user interface coupled to the processor and being operable to receive the new alarm signal generated by the processor and to provide a user-audible indication of the alarm condition, the user-audible indication being masked less by ambient sounds in an environment in which the patient monitor is located compared to the default alarm signal; and a sensor capable of being coupled to the patient monitor and being operable to collect the patient physiological data directly from a patient tissue. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of patient monitoring comprising:
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monitoring a patient physiological parameter using a pulse oximetry monitoring system, wherein the pulse oximetry monitoring system comprises a pulse oximetry sensor configured to be disposed on a patient'"'"'s tissue; determining, with a processor of the pulse oximetry monitoring system, if an alarm condition exists based on measurements of the patient physiological parameter, wherein the alarm condition is associated with a default alarm signal; capturing ambient sounds using the pulse oximetry monitoring system; analyzing, with the processor, the captured ambient sounds to determine whether the ambient sounds will mask the default alarm signal of the alarm condition; modifying, with the processor, the default alarm signal to generate a modified alarm signal as a new alarm signal having a different tone and/or pitch when the analysis determines that the ambient sounds will mask the default alarm signal; and sounding the new alarm signal if the alarm condition exists, wherein the new alarm signal is selected to have a different frequency such that the new alarm signal has the different tone and/or pitch compared to the default alarm signal, wherein the pulse oximetry monitoring system is configured to sound the new alarm based on the analysis. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification