Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Mun Hum Park

Armin Gerhard Kohlrausch

Thomas Maria Falck

Sam Martin Jelfs

Katja Leuschner

Albertus Cornelis Den Brinker

Aki Sakari Harma

Thomas Falck

Andre Melon Barroso

Cornelus Hendricus Bertus Arnoldus Van Dinther

Frank Mueller

Arno Van Leest

Georgina Tryfou

Aki Sakari HÄRMÄ

Armin Gerhard Dr Kohlrausch

The invention suggests a system for monitoring the exposure of a patient () to at least one environmental factor. The system particularly comprises a database () storing an environmental prescription for the patient, the environmental prescription specifying a maximum level of the environmental factor and a minimum duration for the level of the environmental factor to be smaller than the maximum level, and an evaluation module () configured to detect on the basis of a measurement signal and the stored environmental prescription a time interval in which a level of the environmental factor is below the maximum level and to compare the duration of the detected time interval with the minimum duration. On the basis of the result of this comparison, healthcare staff can plan activities in such a way that the patient is provided with a rest period substantially having the minimum duration.

Monitoring the exposure of a patient to an environmental factor

The invention relates to an apparatus and method for use in detecting and validating acoustic alarms, and in particular relates to an apparatus and method for use in detecting and validating acoustic alarms generated by medical devices, such as patient monitoring devices.

Apparatus and method for acoustic alarm detection and validation

The present invention relates to a medical feedback system () based on sound analysis in a medical environment. With a sound scene analyzer (SSA,) being capable of analyzing and classifying an audio signal so as to obtain a list of one or more sound sources in the medical environment surrounding the patient, and a sound-level analyzer (SLA,) being capable of providing an indicator for perceived levels of corresponding sound from the list of sound sources, advanced sound analysis is possible. Finally, a sound classifier (SC,) is arranged for classifying said list of one or more sound sources in a medical environment with respect to a degree of avoidability, and generating a corresponding feedback signal (FEED,) for appropriate action by medical personal, patients and/or visitors.

Medical feedback system based on sound analysis in a medical environment

There is provided a method of operating a device to generate a target sound that is audible to a user of the device, the method comprising measuring background noise in an environment in which the device is located; using a perceptual loudness model to predict an audibility of the target sound to the user of the device based on the measured background noise; using the output of the perceptual loudness model to determine a gain value that is to be applied to a source signal used to generate the target sound in order to provide at least a desired level of audibility of the target sound to the user; applying the determined gain value to the source signal to produce a modified source signal; and generating the target sound using the modified source signal.

Apparatus and method for improving the audibility of specific sounds to a user

There is provided a system for use with a patient in a healthcare environment, the system comprising a medical device configured to monitor or treat a patient, the medical device being for use in a room in which the patient is located and comprising an alarm unit configured to issue an audible alarm; a detection unit configured to detect whether a healthcare staff member is in the room in which the patient is located; a remote alarm unit configured to issue an alarm to alert a healthcare staff member located outside the room in which the patient is located; and a control unit that is connected to the medical device, the remote detection unit and the alarm unit, the control unit being configured to: (i) control the alarm unit in the medical device to issue an audible alarm in the event that the medical device detects an alarm condition for the patient or the medical device and the detection unit detects that a healthcare staff member is in the room in which the patient is located; and (ii) control the remote alarm unit to issue an alarm to alert a healthcare staff member located outside the room in which the patient is located in the event that the medical device detects an alarm condition for the patient or the medical device and the detection unit detects that no healthcare staff member is in the room in which the patient is located.

Systems and methods for reducing the impact of alarm sounds on patients

The invention relates to a system for masking a sound incident on a person. The system comprises a microphone sub-system for capturing the sound. The system further comprises a spectrum-analyzer for determining a power attribute of the sound captured by the multiple microphone sub-system, and a spatial analyzer for determining a directional attribute of the captured sound representative of a direction of incidence on the person. The system further comprises a generator sub-system for generating a masking sound under combined control of the power attribute and the spatial attribute, for masking the incident sound.

Directional sound masking

An audio system comprises a receiver which receives an input audio signal. A decomposer () decomposes the audio signal into at least a transient component signal and a non-transient component signal. An output circuit () then generates a first output audio signal in response to a weighted combination of the transient component signal and the non-transient component signal. In the combination the weighting of the transient component signal is different than the weighting of the non-transient component signal. A new signal with different emphasis of specific sound characteristics can be achieved. The approach may be particularly suited to generation of new spatial audio channels from an existing spatial audio channel, such as in particular the generation of an elevated channel from audio signals of a lower channel.

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Eindhoven, Netherlands

Mun Hum Park