LAUSR

Many medical instruments, particularly those in the operating room, use sound to convey important information. These sounds are a useful way of communicating both continuous information and emergency alarms. Unfortunately, the cacophony effect of multiple devices outputting sound simultaneously may make the noise distracting and the information difficult to understand [1]. This is particularly concerning in regards to the critical alarms, where confusion over the source delays identification and response by the physicians [1]. Ultimately, this noise pollution during surgery jeopardizes the clinical safety of the patient. Multiple Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) is a standard communication protocol in the music industry that has been identified for its potential application to clinical tools [2]. It allows for interfacing multiple devices together and for use of powerful software to coordinate these devices. It was suggested to capitalize on MIDI in order to overcome the problem identified with noise in the operating room [2]. The outstanding challenge was then to interface the medical tools with a MIDI terminal. This requires hardware and parsing software to process the device signals from a range of outputs. TheMassimo Radical 7 pulse oximeter was identified as an initial tool to demonstrate proof-of-concept for this approach. This unit communicates three distinct pieces of information via sound, and is therefore an ideal candidate to demonstration the separation and control of this noise. A steady series of beeps indicates the heart rate with their pacing. The tone of the notes indicates the SPO2 and a steady ring indicates that saturation has dropped below a critical level. Further, it is a very commonly used model for both operative and nonoperative patients. The device is a practical model for intercoordinating medically important sounds. This summary presents the initial conceptualization, prototyping and proof-of-concept of a Pulse Oximeter MIDI Output (POMO) device. This device, based on a microcontroller, will process serial information from the pulse oximeter, send the information to a MIDI terminal, and then produce a coordinated series of sounds. The objective of the project is to create and interface with a multiple channel unit. The device must convert the incoming information and output the signals as chords in order to increase the auditory sensitivity. Holistically, this framework aims to improve the comprehension and response of the physicians in order to improve clinical outcomes.