Method and control unit for coordinating acoustic signals emitted by different medical devices

Abstract

A method for coordinating acoustic alarm signals emitted by different medical devices (1) is described, wherein a first medical device (1a) emits a pre-announcement signal at a time interval before outputting an acoustic alarm signal, which differs from the acoustic alarm signal in at least one characteristic, another device receives the pre-announcement signal emitted by the first medical device (1a) and performs an analysis of the received pre-announcement signal, and wherein, depending on the result of the analysis of the pre-announcement signal, the alarm signal output unit (4) of the second medical device (1b) is manipulated in such a way that, depending on the result of the analysis, at least one characteristic of the alarm signal being output or to be output in the future by the alarm signal output unit (4) is at least temporarily changed and / or a pre-announcement signal is output by the second medical device (1b).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and control unit for coordinating acoustic signals emitted by different medical devices, wherein the emission of an alarm signal by one medical device is based on an alarm emitted by another medical device. Background Technology

[0002] In modern medical and intensive care units, especially intensive care units, numerous medical devices are used to monitor patients. These devices detect patient status values ​​and issue alarm signals when pre-defined limits are reached. Because these alarm signals are typically audible, it is possible for multiple alarm signals to be heard simultaneously or at least partially within a patient's room at very short intervals. This is particularly true when multiple patients are being treated in the same room, which is common in intensive care units.

[0003] The noise levels resulting from the aforementioned situation place a considerable burden on treatment staff, with the risk of failing to detect individual alarms or detecting them too late, thereby endangering patient safety.

[0004] Based on the aforementioned fundamental issues, the risks described may arise in the following ways: multiple acoustic alarms from multiple devices with the same construction, acoustic alarms from multiple devices with different constructions used by a single patient, or acoustic alarms from different devices used by different patients being superimposed.

[0005] Looking to the future, it can generally be assumed that hospital environments will become increasingly mechanized, which will be accompanied by a further increase in noise emissions. Noise generated in hospital wards is caused both by building technology installations, such as air conditioning systems and medical equipment used to monitor and treat patients, as well as by components required for their operation, such as fans, pumps, or servo units, and by emitted acoustic signals and alarms. Other noise sources include people talking and moving, and by treatments or care procedures performed on patients, such as repositioning.

[0006] The problem of noise burden for both therapists and patients is well-known. In this regard, within the scope of long-term trials, in Charité- A pilot laboratory (Pilotzimmer) was established at Berlin am CampusVirchowklinik (the Virchow Hospital campus of the Charité University Hospital in Berlin) to test alternative designs for intensive care units (ICUs). In a project involving multiple companies, two four-bed rooms were redesigned to provide maximum privacy for patients and their families. To this end, technical equipment was placed behind wall components, and alarm sounds were reduced or replaced, or at least supplemented, with targeted light signals. The noise reduction measures implemented lowered the noise level by an average of approximately 20 dB compared to traditional ICUs. This is beneficial for patients' length of stay in the ICU and their sleep quality, while also reducing the workload of treatment staff.

[0007] Furthermore, the use of so-called noise traffic lights is known in this field. Its purpose is to draw attention to exceeding a certain noise limit through an easy-to-understand display. Such noise traffic lights, such as those from SoundEar A / S, are frequently used in intensive care units, especially neonatal intensive care units.

[0008] Typically, such noisy traffic lights are also known from other fields. For example, DE 20 2010 002 987 U1 describes a microcontroller-controlled traffic light whose main setting is to minimize noise during school classes.

[0009] Furthermore, in the final report "Elbischger, A.: Noise Pollution in Adult Intensive Care Units" (from Erwachsenen-Intensivstationen). Klagenfurt 2009” discusses the impact on the comfort of patients and caregivers in the intensive care unit. Within the scope of the described items, measurements were performed in particular and the causes of noise were classified. It was confirmed that the main causes of noise were, on the one hand, human noise, such as conversations, footsteps or movements in the room, and on the other hand, equipment noise, which was caused by operating sounds, alarms and beeps.

[0010] Therefore, it is well known that noise negatively impacts comfort and the recovery process not only for healthy individuals but also for patients in intensive care units. To address this issue, attempts have been made to provide user cues, particularly through appropriate optical cues indicating when the learning level has exceeded the Lernpegel threshold, or to reduce the noise levels of signals emitted by various medical devices. However, these noise reductions can only be implemented within certain limits to ensure that individual signals go unnoticed or are detected too late, which in turn increases patient risk. Summary of the Invention

[0011] Based on known technical solutions and the aforementioned problems, the objective of this invention is to describe a method and control device that can reduce noise pollution in hospital rooms, especially intensive care units. This will not increase the risk to the monitored patient. The system described should also be applicable to the growing number of medical devices that emit acoustic signals and alarms, and should be easily expandable. Furthermore, the technical solutions described should ensure reliable differentiation of individual alarms while reducing noise pollution for patients and treatment staff, so as to always ensure optimal monitoring and treatment of patients.

[0012] The above-described tasks are accomplished by the method according to claim 1, the control unit according to claim 15, and the medical device according to claim 16. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims and are explained in more detail in the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0013] This invention relates to a method for coordinating acoustic alarm signals emitted by different medical devices, wherein...

[0014] -The first medical device outputs a warning signal (Vorsignal) at a time interval prior to outputting an acoustic alarm signal, which differs from the acoustic signal in at least one characteristic.

[0015] - At least one second medical device or other external control device suitable for signal evaluation receives a warning signal output by the first medical device on a direct path or after forwarding, and performs analysis on the received warning signal in an evaluation unit arranged in the second medical device and / or the external control device.

[0016] - Wherein, based on the analysis results of the warning signal, the alarm signal output unit of the second medical device is manipulated such that, based on the analysis results, at least one characteristic of the alarm signal being output by the alarm signal output unit or to be output by the alarm signal output unit in the future is at least temporarily changed and / or the second medical device outputs a warning signal.

[0017] A fundamental technical feature of this invention is that, when a patient is treated and / or monitored by means of at least two medical devices configured to output acoustic alarm signals upon reaching an alarm limit value for at least one patient state value, at least one of these medical devices is configured to output a warning signal containing information about planned future alarm signal outputs before the actual alarm signal is output. The output of the acoustic alarm signal is thus announced in advance by means of the warning signal. According to the invention, this warning signal is received by at least one second medical device and / or a suitable external control device and analyzed by an evaluation unit in a way that affects the ongoing or future acoustic alarm signal output by the second medical device. Supplementally or alternatively, it is conceivable that the second medical device also outputs a warning signal based on the analysis of the warning signal, which in turn affects the future alarm signal output of the first medical device or the alarm output of another medical device. The external control device is preferably an external unit connected to the hospital's data technology infrastructure for generating and transmitting alarms, and the first and second medical devices are also wirelessly or wired connected to this data technology infrastructure. Therefore, the basic idea of ​​this invention is to coordinate acoustic alarm signals output by different medical devices during patient monitoring, wherein each of these medical devices outputs a warning signal, which is received and evaluated by other medical devices or other equipment. This creates the possibility of prioritizing different acoustic alarm signals that occur simultaneously or at least partially overlap in a room based on their relevance to the patient's condition. Preferably, this is stipulated by at least temporarily suppressing individual alarms or adapting their volume and / or type to the relevance of the alarm signal.

[0018] The evaluation unit, configured according to the invention, which analyzes the received warning signal, is implemented in this case such that the warning signal itself is identified, and the type of expected alarm signal is identified based on the specific characteristics of the warning signal. Additionally, it is also conceivable in principle that the evaluation unit is configured to achieve at least limited noise reduction when the medical device designed according to the invention is used with medical devices not designed according to the invention. In this case, the evaluation unit is configured to identify alarm signals from another medical device, assign the other medical device to a category of medical device based on the analysis of the alarm signal, and modify the alarm signals currently being output by the medical device designed according to the invention or to be output by the medical device designed according to the invention in the future, taking into account the medical device categories to which other medical devices belong.

[0019] Regarding the type of warning signal, it can generally be envisioned as an electrical, optical, or acoustic signal. Furthermore, the warning signal can be transmitted wirelessly and / or via wired connections. Of course, combinations of the above signal types and transmission paths are conceivable. Advantageously, the warning signal is designed and transmitted in such a way that it does not contribute to noise pollution within the room, or at least contributes to noise pollution only to a very small extent.

[0020] One particular embodiment of the invention specifies that the warning signal is transmitted directly from a first medical device to at least one second medical device, wherein the transmission may also be envisioned as being carried out wirelessly or via wired means, and optically or acoustically. In a particularly advantageous manner, the warning signal is an acoustic signal having frequencies in a range normally inaudible to humans, i.e., in the so-called ultrasonic range.

[0021] Alternatively or as a supplement, it is conceivable that the warning signal be transmitted in a wired manner, for example as an electrical signal, but it may also be transmitted wirelessly or in part via an optical waveguide as an optical signal. Other possible provisions for transmitting the warning signal include: the warning signal being transmitted via a wireless or wired network, wherein at least two medical devices configured to output acoustic alarm signals are coupled to the wireless or wired network.

[0022] Other specific variations for transmitting warning signals and related coordinated use by various medical devices that issue acoustic alarms include: optical signal transmission in the form of infrared signals, such as in the case of point-to-point signal transmission; telemetry signal transmission, such as as signal transmission using Zigbee, Bluetooth, ISM, PMR and / or LPD (446, 868 / 902, 915); telemetry signal transmission in a network, such as via WLAN, Bluetooth, Mesh and / or NFC; acoustic signal transmission in the audible frequency range; and / or wired electrical signal transmission in a network, such as via LAN, power grid, Power over Ethernet, Internet of Things and / or via industrial or building automation systems (e.g., Profibus).

[0023] In a particular embodiment of the invention, the volume, frequency, modulation, pitch, tone, tonality, and / or melody of the alarm signal are modified based on the results of the analysis. Therefore, this embodiment specifies that, after performing the warning signal analysis, the current and / or future alarm signal output by the medical device is adapted according to the analyzed warning signal characteristics and thus according to the alarm signal previously notified by another medical device using the warning signal. In this way, it is ensured that the alarm signal output, taking into account priority, specifically the type and / or volume of the alarm signal being output or should be output by the medical device analyzing the warning signal, is adapted to alarm signals that have already been acoustically output and / or will be output in the future by other medical devices. Therefore, it is ensured that the volume or other characteristics of the alarm signals already output or to be output in the future are adapted to the importance of exceeding the threshold value that would cause the alarm or to the risk present to the monitored patient. In addition to changing or adapting the volume, alternatively or supplementarily, it is conceivable to change the modulation, frequency, or melody of the alarm signal so that the therapist can clearly distinguish between two alarm signals output by the medical device that are at least temporarily overlapping.

[0024] Another design embodiment of the invention specifies that, based on the analysis results of the warning signal, the alarm signal being output or to be output in the future by the alarm signal output unit of the medical device is interrupted at least temporarily. In this case, even if at least two alarm signals are output simultaneously at least temporarily, it is reliably ensured that the sound pressure level in the room does not increase unnecessarily. In this case, the alarm signal can be interrupted by taking into account the importance of the alarm, such that, for example, alarms with higher priority cause continuous alarm signals, while alarms with relatively lower priority are only output intermittently.

[0025] Particularly advantageous is considering the prioritization of the events upon which the alarm signal output is based during the analysis of the warning signals; that is, in particular, violations of the minimum or maximum limits of the patient's physiological parameters. During the analysis of the warning signals, at least one characteristic of the event upon which the pre-announced alarm signal or planned future alarm is based is thus determined, and this event is compared with other events on which the alarm signal was output or which were pre-announced. The events are then prioritized in a suitable manner, such that alarms have higher priority, and the events upon which they are based are of greater importance to the patient's health status. Higher-priority alarm signals may be output, for example, at a higher volume, with a specific tone, higher frequency, and / or a particular melody or scale, while lower-priority alarm signals are interrupted or may be output at different volumes, frequencies, and / or melody.

[0026] Depending on the specific extension scheme, when determining the outcome upon which the operation of the alarm signal output unit is based, at least one patient-specific parameter and / or parameters specific to at least one of the medical devices are considered. In this case, when analyzing the warning signal, or in addition to analyzing the warning signal, consideration may also be given to, for example, which patient was involved in the event that triggered the alarm and what the corresponding alarm means for that patient. Device-specific parameters may also be considered, for example, to indicate to the treatment personnel, for example, that medication in the infusion pump needs refilling or that device components require servicing and / or cleaning.

[0027] In another specific embodiment of the method according to the invention, the results of environmental monitoring are taken into account whether or not a person, particularly a therapist, is monitoring the environment of the first and / or second medical devices, and are considered when generating and outputting the warning and / or alarm signals. With this technical design, it is preferably set before outputting the warning and / or alarm signals whether a person, particularly a therapist, is already in the room, and thus adapted accordingly to at least one characteristic of the alarm signal to be notified in advance or output, for example, in terms of its volume, frequency, melody or scale and / or its tonality. For example, if it is set that no one else is in the room besides the one or more patients, this is taken into account when setting the characteristics of the alarm signals and / or the warning and / or alarm signals are forwarded to alarm output units located at a distance, such as displays on the stationflur, central monitoring units, pagers, tablets, and / or mobile phones. Complementarily, in this case, it is not necessary to output acoustic alarm signals in the treatment room.

[0028] In another embodiment of the invention, the results of the analysis of the warning signals during the stand-by zeitraum period are stored in a data memory and taken into account in the analysis of further warning signals and / or in demand-based manipulation of the alarm signal output unit. In this way, it is possible to store the results of pre-analyzed and / or output pre-control signals in the data memory and provide these results for further processing, thereby taking them into account in the analysis of other warning signals and / or in the generation of control signals for manipulating the alarm signal output unit. Here, warning signals that may not yet have output alarm signals can also be prioritized in a suitable manner, taking into account the correlation between different warning signals or events, particularly the type and scope of the type and scope of the alarm based on which the pre-notified alarm is based, i.e., the characteristics of the pre-notified or output alarm signal are adapted to the significance of the event for the patient.

[0029] According to another design of the invention, the analysis results of the pre-control signal and / or alarm signal of another medical device are considered in the analysis of the pre-control signal. According to this particular extension of the invention, pre-control signals and / or alarm signals output by multiple medical devices can therefore be considered in the analysis, and thus the characteristics of the pre-control signals and / or alarms to be output can be set in a particularly desirable manner. In this regard, it is conceivable that not only the pre-control signal of another medical device is analyzed, but also the alarm signal already output at that point in time is considered in the analysis. It is also conceivable that a first medical device arranged in a room outputs a pre-control signal, and at least one second medical device in the same room or at least in the receiving area analyzes the pre-control signal, and based on the performed analysis, compares the priority of the already output alarm signal with the priority of the pre-notified alarm signal, and then, preferably, changes at least one characteristic of the alarm signal already output by the first medical device based on the analysis and priority comparison.

[0030] It is also conceivable to determine noise pollution characteristic values ​​based on alarms and / or warning signals detected in the room. For this purpose, appropriate receiving and evaluation units are set up, which are arranged in one of the medical devices, in the central monitoring unit and / or other units.

[0031] The receiving and evaluation unit preferably has at least one receiver for generating measurement values, such as a receiver with a microphone or piezoelectric transducer, at least one data storage unit, and a data processing unit. Based on the data processing performed in the data processing unit, the receiving and evaluation unit, medical devices, central monitoring unit, or other units generate signals for controlling medical devices arranged in the room or receiving area, particularly alarm signal output units. This adjusts the output of the alarm signal in the room or receiving area, particularly the sound pressure level, according to the following formula, after setting appropriate noise pollution characteristic values, so that it does not exceed a predetermined limit value. According to a specific extension, when analyzing the warning signal and / or when controlling the alarm signal output units of the medical devices, the corresponding noise pollution characteristic values ​​are considered, so that the overall acoustic alarm signal output of all medical devices arranged in a room does not exceed the permissible sound pressure level.

[0032] In addition to one method, the present invention also relates to a control unit of a medical device or central monitoring system configured to perform the method described in at least one of the above embodiments. Therefore, such a control unit is suitable for causing the output of a warning signal, controlling or performing the analysis of a pre-control signal output by another medical device, and manipulating an alarm signal output unit based on the analysis results of the warning signal, taking into account the output of an acoustic alarm signal adapted to the noise conditions of the room. In this case, it is also conceivable that the control unit, when manipulating the alarm signal output unit, considers not only the analysis results of the warning signal but also other measurements, such as measurements from environmental monitoring, and / or data, such as determined noise pollution characteristic values. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a medical device or central monitoring system having a control unit as described above.

[0033] Typically, it can be envisioned that the range of warning signals output by individual medical devices be limited to a specific area. In this way, individual care islands can also be created in larger medical care units, such as large intensive care units or emergency tents, particularly for the treatment and monitoring of patients using groups of medical devices. Treatment staff can be notified of alarms occurring in specific islands by forwarding appropriate warning and / or alarm signals to a central monitoring unit. Adapting various acoustic alarm signals according to the invention prevents irritation caused by parallel alarm outputs, as treatment staff can directly identify alarms with the highest priority. Attached Figure Description

[0034] The invention will now be explained in more detail using exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, without limiting the general inventive concept. Wherein:

[0035] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the layout of multiple medical devices used for treating and monitoring patients on a hospital bed is provided; and

[0036] Figure 2 The diagram shows two treatment stations arranged in a room, each capable of individually monitoring and treating a patient. Detailed Implementation

[0037] exist Figure 1 The diagram schematically illustrates the arrangement of multiple medical devices 1 for the treatment and monitoring of patient A in a hospital bed area. The number and type of medical devices 1 used can vary considerably, particularly based on the disease to be treated and the patient's health status. Figure 1The medical devices 1 arranged in the hospital bed area include a ventilator A1, a patient monitor A2, an infusion pump A3, and an EIT device A4. These various medical devices 1 monitor numerous physiological parameters of patient A, known as patient status values. In each medical device 1 and / or the central monitoring unit 7, permissible minimum and maximum limits are set for the various physiological parameters of patient A. When these limits are violated, i.e., when values ​​exceed or fall below these limits, an acoustic alarm signal is output through the corresponding medical device 1 located at the bedside, particularly the alarm signal output unit 4. Appropriate priorities are assigned to the violations of the various limits related to the patient's health status that trigger the acoustic alarm signal; these priorities are also stored in the medical device 1 or the higher-level monitoring unit 7.

[0038] According to the invention, the medical device 1 is configured such that, prior to the output of the acoustic alarm signal, a warning signal—here, an inaudible ultrasonic signal—is emitted to inform the user of the planned output of the acoustic alarm signal. The warning signal is designed with respect to its frequency, frequency sequence, frequency distribution, amplitude, and / or phase based on the characteristics of the alarm signal on which the alarm is based or the limits being violated. Additionally, the corresponding warning signal is transmitted over another transmission path, particularly via a network 5, such as a WLAN network, to which other medical devices 1 are also connected.

[0039] At least one of the other medical devices 1, similarly configured for acoustic alarms and located in the bed area or room 6 where the bed is located, is configured to directly or indirectly receive and analyze the emitted warning signals. Regardless of whether the analysis of the warning signals is performed in the evaluation unit 2 located within the medical device 1 or in the evaluation unit 2 located in the external control device 3, the results of the analysis of the warning signals output by the first medical device 1a are used to modify or adapt the output of alarm signals being executed, planned, or pre-announced by at least one second medical device 1b, and / or the warning signals also emitted by the second medical device 1b. In this way, in particular, the volume, tone sequence, or frequency of the acoustic alarm signals output by the alarm signal output units 4 of the various medical devices 1 is adapted to a priority ranking, i.e., the relevance of the corresponding alarm to the patient's health status. It is also conceivable that acoustic alarm signals or other device messages of lower importance are output intermittently rather than continuously.

[0040] In this case, the warning signal is encoded such that the relevant information is decoded in the evaluation unit of another medical device 1 or external control device 3. In this case, the information can be modulated as an additional audio signal encoding. Alternatively, it can be implemented using modulated sound signals, such as in the form of a burst or chirp. In any case, the warning signal is implemented in such a way that it does not interfere with the interpretation of the acoustic alarm signals issued simultaneously by the therapist.

[0041] According to the embodiments described herein, the warning signal is an acoustic signal having a frequency range that is no longer normally audible to humans, particularly above 27 kHz. To be able to receive such a warning signal, the medical device 1 and the external control device 3 have suitable ultrasound transducers with piezoelectric elements that convert the acoustic signal into an electrical measurement signal. As already explained, other forms of warning signals may also be used, such as optical signals in the infrared frequency range, radio telemetry signals, or other wired or wirelessly transmitted signals.

[0042] Once the relevant warning signals and patient-related data are transmitted at least partially over the network, additional security measures, particularly encryption via HTTPS, S / MIME, or VPN, are recommended to protect the data transmission from manipulation.

[0043] exist Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the warning signal is used to output information about the device type, alarm type, i.e., the event on which the pre-notified alarm is based, priority, alarm signal sequence type, and repetition rate of the pre-notified alarm signal, wherein the priority specifically refers to whether the alarm is an emergency warning or a routine message. Other medical devices 1 located at the bedside or in the same room 6, and, if necessary, external control devices 3, receive the output signal either directly or indirectly, analyze it, and ultimately can initiate the following actions as needed by appropriately manipulating the alarm signal output unit 4:

[0044] The control and adaptation of acoustic alarm signals are preferably performed by taking into account the priorities of different alarms, for example, through time delay (alarm delay), in order to minimize acoustic overlap between one's own alarm signal and an alarm signal pre-notified by another medical device 1.

[0045] - Situation evaluation, especially analyzing its own alarm situation compared with medical device 1 which has been notified in advance to output acoustic alarm signals, and outputting a warning signal when necessary, for example, if its own alarm that must be output has a higher priority than the alarm that has been notified in advance by another medical device 1;

[0046] - If at least one other medical device 1 simultaneously emits an acoustic alarm signal, then change the volume of the output acoustic alarm signal, and

[0047] - Forward the warning signal and / or at least one piece of information contained therein to another device, such as an output unit in a hospital corridor and / or to a central monitoring unit, to ensure full information or take other measures (Locked-Door-Szenario).

[0048] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of another exemplary design of the present invention is shown, in which there are two patients in a room. Patient A is connected to four medical devices, namely A1, A2, A3, and A4, while patient B is connected to three medical devices, here B1, B2, and B3. Devices A1 and B1 are ventilators, devices A2 and B2 are patient monitors, device A3 is an infusion pump, device A4 is an EIT device, and device B3 is a feeding tube. According to this embodiment, a three-level alarm priority is set, which is implemented as shown in the table below:

[0049]

[0050]

[0051]

[0052] This means:

[0053] MV: Minute Volume

[0054] VT: Tidal volume

[0055] f: Frequency

[0056] P: Pressure

[0057] FiO2: Inhaled oxygen concentration

[0058] etCO2: partial pressure of carbon dioxide at the end of expiration

[0059] SpO2: Blood oxygen saturation

[0060] BP: Blood Pressure

[0061] HR: Pulse

[0062] tcore: Core temperature

[0063] exist Figure 2In the illustrated embodiment, the alarm priorities for the same medical devices on both patients are set to the same level. Alternatively, it is conceivable to set different priorities based on the patient's symptoms and physical condition. For example, the parameter HRhigh, i.e., the upper limit of the pulse, could be set with a different alarm priority in patients with stable physical conditions. Alternatively, the upper limit HRhigh could be further increased.

[0064] In addition, combined Figure 2 The described system for monitoring two patients A and B using multiple medical devices 1 arranged in a room has an option to output a so-called super alarm. If an alarm signal is output for an extended period without confirmation from medical personnel or appropriate action taken, priority for noise avoidance is intentionally revoked, and all medical devices 1 issue an alarm. In this case, all medical devices 1 in room 6, particularly the corresponding alarm signal output units 4, are manipulated to synchronously output acoustic alarm signals to very strongly increase the sound pressure level (SPL) in room 6. This results in alarm amplification. Furthermore, information about the alarm is forwarded to at least one higher-level monitoring unit 7 and / or the mobile output device of the medical personnel, such as a pager, tablet, or mobile phone.

[0065] It is also stipulated that all warning and alarm signals appearing in room 6 will be received by a dedicated receiving module 8, prioritized, and then the alarm with the highest priority will be wirelessly or wiredly forwarded via network 5 to the alarm output unit in the hospital corridor and / or at the central monitoring unit 7. Corresponding additional alarms will be output in an acoustic and / or visual manner, such as through a display.

[0066] If, despite prioritization, at least two alarm signals must be output simultaneously in room 6, at least temporarily, the frequency positions of the different alarm signals (e.g., in the case of the same alarm output from different medical devices) should be adapted to an audible difference of approximately 200 Hz, taking into account the analysis of the received warning signals during adaptation. It is important here that alarm signals output by different devices or different types of devices in room 6 can be clearly distinguished from each other. Alternatively or supplementarily, changes or adaptations to the tone sequence, such as changes from monotones to chords or pentatonic sequences as also specified in relevant standards, can be used to differentiate device types.

[0067] List of reference numerals

[0068] 1. Medical equipment

[0069] 1a First Medical Equipment

[0070] 1b Second Medical Equipment

[0071] 2. Evaluation Unit

[0072] 3. External control equipment

[0073] 4. Alarm signal output unit

[0074] 5. Network

[0075] Room 6

[0076] 7 Central Monitoring Unit

[0077] 8. Receiver Module

[0078] Patient A

[0079] Patient B

[0080] A1 ventilator

[0081] A2 Patient Monitoring Device

[0082] A3 Injection Pump

[0083] A4 EIT equipment

[0084] B1 ventilator

[0085] B2 Patient Monitor

[0086] B3 Feeding Tube

Claims

1. A method for coordinating acoustic alarm signals emitted by different medical devices (1), wherein The first medical device (1a) outputs a warning signal at a time interval prior to the output of the acoustic alarm signal, thereby providing advance notice of the output of the acoustic alarm signal, wherein the warning signal differs from the acoustic alarm signal in at least one characteristic. At least one second medical device (1b) or external control device (3) receives the warning signal output by the first medical device (1a), and performs analysis on the received warning signal in an evaluation unit (2) arranged in the second medical device (1b) and / or the external control device (3). And among them Based on the analysis of the warning signal, the alarm signal output unit (4) of the second medical device (1b) is manipulated such that, based on the result, at least one characteristic of the alarm signal being output by the alarm signal output unit (4) or to be output by the alarm signal output unit (4) in the future is at least temporarily changed and / or the second medical device (1b) outputs a warning signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, Its features are, The warning signal is designed to be an acoustic signal, an optical signal, and / or an electrical signal.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Its features are, The warning signal is transmitted via a wired and / or wireless network (5).

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Its features are, The warning signal is transmitted directly from the first medical device (1a) to the second medical device (1b).

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Its features are, Based on the results of the analysis, the volume, frequency, modulation, pitch, type, and / or melody of the alarm signal are changed.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Its features are, Based on the results of the analysis, the alarm signal being output by the alarm signal output unit (4) or to be output in the future shall be interrupted at least temporarily.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Its features are, In the analysis of the warning signal, the priority ranking of the events on which the alarm signal output is based is taken into account.

8. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Its features are, When determining the result on which the operation of the alarm signal output unit (4) is based, at least one patient-specific parameter and / or a parameter specific to at least one of the medical devices (1) is taken into consideration.

9. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Its features are, Given whether someone is monitoring the environment of the medical device (1), the results of environmental monitoring are taken into account when controlling the output of warning signals and / or alarm signals.

10. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Its features are, The results of the analysis during the standby period are stored in the data memory and taken into account in the analysis of further warning signals and / or in the operation of the alarm signal output unit (4).

11. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Its features are, When determining the analysis results of the pre-control signal on which the operation of the alarm signal output unit (4) is based, the analysis results of the alarm signals and / or warning signals of other medical devices (1) are taken into account.

12. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Its features are, Based on the warning signal output by the second medical device (1b), at least one characteristic of the alarm signal output by the first medical device (1a) is changed.

13. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Its features are, Based on the alarm and warning signals detected in the room (6), noise pollution characteristic values ​​are determined and provided in the medical device (1) and / or the central unit for data storage, data processing and / or control of the medical device (1) for further use.

14. The method according to claim 13, Its features are, The noise pollution characteristic value is taken into account when determining the result on which the operation of the alarm signal output unit (4) is based.

15. A control unit of a medical device (1) or a central monitoring system, configured to implement the method according to any one of the preceding claims.

16. A medical device or central monitoring system having a control unit as described in claim 15.

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