Medical monitoring system based on sound analysis in a medical environment
First Claim
1. A medical monitoring system comprising a digital data processor configured to implement:
- a sound level analyzer configured to receive an audio signal from a medical environment surrounding a patient and provide an indicator for perceived levels of sound generated by sound events occurring in the medical environment;
a data storage modality configured to receive and store the indicator for the perceived levels of sound and corresponding information, obtained from an associated patient monitoring system, and indicative of at least one of physical or mental condition of the patient;
a sound event analyzer configured to perform an overall sound analysis related to the at least one ofthe physical or mental condition of the patient based on the indicator and the corresponding information stored in the data storage; and
a sound scene analyzer configured to analyze and classify the audio signal, create a list of one or more sound sources that generate the sound events occurring in the medical environment surrounding the patient, and differentiate avoidable sources of negative influence on rest or sleep of the patient from unavoidable sources of negative influence,wherein the sound scene analyzer is configured to distinguish unavoidable and essential alarm sounds from avoidable and non-essential alarm sounds based on training information from at least one of a patient monitoring system or a hospital central monitoring database, andwherein the sound event analyzer is configured to identify the sound events occurring in the medical environment based on analyzing tonality, harmonic structure, rhythmicity, predictability, spectral content, measures of onset steepness, percussiveness, and repetitiveness of the audio signal.
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Accused Products
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.
13 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A medical monitoring system comprising a digital data processor configured to implement:
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a sound level analyzer configured to receive an audio signal from a medical environment surrounding a patient and provide an indicator for perceived levels of sound generated by sound events occurring in the medical environment; a data storage modality configured to receive and store the indicator for the perceived levels of sound and corresponding information, obtained from an associated patient monitoring system, and indicative of at least one of physical or mental condition of the patient; a sound event analyzer configured to perform an overall sound analysis related to the at least one ofthe physical or mental condition of the patient based on the indicator and the corresponding information stored in the data storage; and a sound scene analyzer configured to analyze and classify the audio signal, create a list of one or more sound sources that generate the sound events occurring in the medical environment surrounding the patient, and differentiate avoidable sources of negative influence on rest or sleep of the patient from unavoidable sources of negative influence, wherein the sound scene analyzer is configured to distinguish unavoidable and essential alarm sounds from avoidable and non-essential alarm sounds based on training information from at least one of a patient monitoring system or a hospital central monitoring database, and wherein the sound event analyzer is configured to identify the sound events occurring in the medical environment based on analyzing tonality, harmonic structure, rhythmicity, predictability, spectral content, measures of onset steepness, percussiveness, and repetitiveness of the audio signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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10. A method for monitoring sound in a medical environment, the method comprising using a computer processor for:
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receiving an audio signal from a medical environment surrounding a patient, and providing an indicator for perceived levels of sound generated by sound events occurring in the medical environment; receiving and storing, in a data storage modality, the indicator for the perceived levels of sound and corresponding information, obtained from an associated patient monitoring system, and indicative of at least one of physical or mental condition of the patient; performing an overall sound analysis related to the at least one of the physical and/or mental condition of the patient based on the indicator and the corresponding information stored in the data storage; analyzing and classifying the audio signal; creating a list of one or more sound sources that generate the sound events occurring in the medical environment surrounding the patient; and differentiating avoidable sources of negative influence on rest or sleep of the patient from unavoidable sources of negative influence; wherein the analyzing and classifying step includes identifying alarm sounds generated in the medical environment based on at least one of the tonality, harmonic structure, and repetitiveness of the audio signal, and in an event an alarm sound is identified, distinguishing, in the differentiating step, avoidable alarm sounds from unavoidable alarm sounds by observing the duration of the identified alarm sound and determining whether the observed duration exceeds a predetermined duration, and wherein the predetermined duration is determined based on at least one of a history of alarm sounds previously generated in the medical environment or urgency of response previously given to a specific alarm sound. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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Specification