WO2009153535A2

WO2009153535A2 - Medical alert system, and corresponding method

Info

Publication number: WO2009153535A2
Application number: PCT/FR2009/051193
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michel Marie-Frédéric BUISSIERE
Original assignee: Buissiere Michel Marie-Frederi
Priority date: 2008-06-20
Filing date: 2009-06-22
Publication date: 2009-12-23
Also published as: FR2932916A1; WO2009153535A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a medical alert system (1) characterized in that the system includes: - a first sound sensor (3); - a processing unit (5) for storing a first ID code for a first medical apparatus (6) and a first datum representing a first alarm sound (7) outputted by said first medical apparatus (6), said first datum being associated with said first ID code; - and a first display means (10) devised to be remotely located from the sound sensor which is located outside the room, the processing unit (5) also devised for: - determining, through comparison with the surrounding sound sensed by the first sound sensor (3) with said first datum, if said surrounding sound sensed by the first sound sensor (3) includes said first alarm sound (7); and – if affirmative, displaying on said first display means (10) a first alert message including at least said first ID code and the number of the room. The invention can be used for medical alarm systems.

Description

MEDICAL ALERT SYSTEM AND CORRESPONDING METHOD

TECHNICAL AREA

The present invention relates to the general technical field of medical alert systems intended to warn the nursing staff, and in particular the hospital staff, of the deterioration of the medical condition of a patient and / or the malfunction of a device. associated with said patient.

The present invention thus relates to a medical alert system, but also to a medical alert method and an associated computer program.

PRIOR ART

Inpatient patients are frequently connected to different medical devices, particularly for monitoring their vital functions and / or administering them.

This particularly concerns the intensive care, intensive care, cardiology, burns and neo-natal services, services in which the patient is often in a state of unconsciousness. In these services, the patient is connected, via needles, electrodes or various sensors, to different medical devices, such as syringe pumps or other pumps for administering drug substances, as well as to monitoring devices for certain vital functions, such as cardiac function. Each of these medical devices is equipped with visual and / or audible alarm means to alert the caregiver of any deterioration of the patient's condition detected by the device, or a malfunction of the device. device itself (appliance that is out of order or needs to be recharged with medicinal substances for example).

In practice, innumerable audible alarm triggers occur on a regular basis, either for serious and well founded causes, which require the immediate intervention of the nursing staff, either for less critical causes, which do not necessarily require immediate medical action (this is the case, for example, of an alarm generated by accidental and unconscious electrode by the patient equipped with it).

Thus, a nurse who is in charge of a large number of beds at the same time is subjected to a multitude of audible alarms on a daily basis, which is difficult for him to quickly and reliably assess the degree of urgency, which results in a large number of alarms. number of displacements precipitated in the rooms concerned, the order of these movements being decided in urgency and therefore not necessarily the most judicious in view of the gravity of the phenomena associated with the alarms.

This not only entails a certain risk for the patient, but also a large number of trips, sometimes unnecessary, which generate fatigue and nervous tension and generally affect the working conditions of the nursing staff, thus reducing its effectiveness.

In addition, there is a risk that caregivers engaged in caring for a particular room may not hear, let alone identify and locate an alarmed device in another room. prevents him from intervening quickly and wisely. This problem is crucial in the services of burn victims. Indeed, patients hospitalized in these services are extremely sensitive to the risks of infection, especially nosocomial. In order to limit this risk, it is generally advisable to keep the bedroom doors tightly closed to prevent the spread of infectious germs that can be fatal for these extremely fragile patients.

However, when the bedroom door is closed, it is much more difficult for caregivers to hear and locate the audible alarms of medical devices connected to patients. The nursing staff is thus faced with an insoluble problem, which can be summarized as follows: either the doors are closed which reduces the risk of infection but increases the risk of not hearing a crucial alarm, either the doors are open and it is easier for the caregiver to spot an alarm but the risks of infection are increased for the patient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the present intervention is therefore to propose a new medical alert system which does not have the drawbacks listed above and which is capable of alerting nursing staff in a particularly safe, effective and the latter to make an informed and timely decision.

Another object of the invention is to propose a new medical alert system whose design is particularly simple and whose use is compatible with that of existing medical devices on the market, without a modification thereof. necessary.

Another object of the invention is to propose a new, particularly reliable medical alert system.

Another object of the invention is to propose a new medical alert system that is easily adaptable to any medical device installation.

Another object of the invention is to propose a new medical alert system whose installation is easy and cheap.

Another object of the invention is to propose a new, particularly safe medical alert system.

Another object of the invention is to propose a new method of medical alert that can meet all of the above objectives.

The objects assigned to the invention are achieved by means of a medical alert system characterized in that it comprises: a first sound sensor designed to capture the surrounding sound, a processing unit connected to said first sound sensor, said processing unit storing at least on the one hand a first identification code of a first medical device associated with a patient resting in a room designated by a number and another part of a first datum representative of a first alarm sound emitted by said first medical device when the latter is in an alarm state, said first datum being associated with said first identification code,

and a first display means independent of the first sound sensor and designed to be at a distance from the latter, the processing unit being furthermore designed to:

determining, by comparing the surrounding sound picked up by the first sound sensor with said first datum, whether said surrounding sound picked up by the first sound sensor includes said first alarm sound,

and if so, displaying on said first display means a first alert message including at least said first identification code and the number of the chamber.

The objects assigned to the invention are also achieved by means of a medical alert method characterized in that it comprises:

a first step of capturing, with the aid of a first sound sensor, the surrounding sound,

a first processing step, using a processing unit, during which, in comparison with a first datum representative of a first alarm sound emitted by a first medical device associated with a patient, it is determined. resting in a room designated by a number when said first apparatus is in an alarm state, if the surrounding sound picked up by the first sound sensor includes said first alarm sound, said first data being associated with a first identification code said first medical device, said method further comprising, if the sensed surrounding sound includes said first alarm sound, a step of displaying a first alert message including at least said first identification code and the number of the chamber, said display step being performed using a display means independent of the first sound sensor and being out of the chamber.

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear better on reading the following description, and with the aid of the accompanying drawings, given by way of purely illustrative and non-limiting example, in which FIG. is a block diagram of the systems and methods according to the invention.

BEST MODE OF REALIZING THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a medical alert system 1 for alerting the health care staff of a possible deterioration of the state of the patient 2 to which the medical alert system 1 is assigned, or of a dysfunction of one or more medical apparatus (monitoring apparatus or drug delivery apparatus) associated with the patient 2.

The system 1 is for example intended to be used in one or other of the following services: resuscitation, cardiology, intensive care, burns, wake up, neonatalogy.

The medical alert system 1 according to the invention comprises a first sound sensor 3 designed to capture the surrounding sound. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, and which corresponds to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first sound sensor 3 is designed to be positioned in the chamber 4 where the patient 2 rests, so as to be able to pick up the ambient sound of room 4 in question, which is designated by a number. The terms "room" and "number" must here be interpreted extensively, that is to say, respectively designating the geographical area (which is not necessarily a room closed by a door) in which the patient is treated. and a code (alphanumeric or of any other nature) associated with said zone. Preferably, the first sound sensor 3 comprises at least a first microphone 3A placed in the chamber 4, it being understood that it is entirely it is conceivable, in order to improve the sound pick-up, that the first sound sensor 3 comprises a plurality of microphones.

The medical alert system 1 also comprises a processing unit connected to the first sound sensor 3 by any appropriate means of communication. For example, the processing unit 5 can be connected to the first sound sensor 3 via a wired connection providing an electrical and / or optical connection between the first sound sensor 3 and the processing unit 5. It is It is also conceivable to use the electrical distribution network of the building in which the medical alert system 1 is installed to connect, by means of a device of the CPL (Online Carrier Current) type, the treatment unit 5. first sound sensor 3. Alternatively, it is also quite possible, and even particularly advantageous, that the processing unit 5 is connected to the first sound sensor 3 by a wireless communication device, for example transmitter type / radio wave receiver. The processing unit 5 may be constituted by a subassembly distinct from the first sound sensor 3. In this case, the processing unit 5 may of course be arranged inside the chamber 4, but is advantageously located outside said chamber 4 so as to be able to process different signals from different sound sensors arranged inside different chambers.

Thus, in an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the medical alert system 1 comprises a single processing unit 5 which is connected to a plurality of sound sensors arranged themselves in a plurality of chambers. However, it is entirely possible, without departing from the scope of the invention, for the processing unit 5 to be integrated with the first sound sensor 3 and to form with it a unitary subassembly arranged integrally to inside the room 4.

The treatment unit 5 is intended to store at least firstly a first identification code of a first medical device 6 associated with a patient 2 and secondly a first data representative of a first sound of alarm 8 issued by said first medical device 6 when the latter is in an alarm state, said first data being associated with said first identification code. The first medical device 6 may consist of any known medical device likely to be near a patient and capable of emitting an alarm sound signal. For example, the first medical device 6 may be constituted by an apparatus taken from the following group: automated care devices such as syringe pumps or infusion pumps, medical assistance devices such as respirators or weighing devices physiological parameters monitoring devices such as blood pressure and pulse monitoring devices or cardiological monitoring devices, this list being of course absolutely not exhaustive. As is well known in the art, the first medical device 6 is associated with the patient 2 by any appropriate means, and for example by non-invasive means (external probe adhering to the skin or any other sensor) or invasive (intravenous needle , probe introduced into the natural channels).

Of course, it is quite possible, and even frequent, that different medical devices are simultaneously associated with the same patient 2. For the sake of simplicity, Figure 1 illustrates a situation in which only a single medical device 6 is associated with the patient. 2, but the invention relates of course and in priority the situations in which the patient 2 is connected to a plurality of medical devices each providing a specific function. Each medical device, and therefore in particular the first medical device 6, is associated with an identification code (called the first identification code with regard to the first medical device 6) which makes it possible to identify the medical device itself. . In other words, the first identification code enables the user, and in particular a user who is a member of the nursing staff, to know which type of appliance he is dealing with (for example the first identification code can inform the user of the device). user that the first device 6 with which it is associated is a syringe pump). The first identification code thus advantageously makes it possible to immediately identify the function of the first medical device 6 to which it corresponds.

As mentioned above, the first medical device 6 is designed, as is well known in the art, to emit signals when it is in an alarm state. The first device 6 is in an alarm state when it presents a abnormal in its operation, or when it detects a need for external intervention (which is the case for example of a syringe pump when the syringe is almost empty and must be recharged) or even and especially when the first Medical device 6 detects a change in the condition of the patient, and in particular a deterioration, justifying the rapid intervention of the nursing staff (for example sudden change in blood pressure, anomaly in the heart rate or difficulty breathing).

The signals emitted by the first medical device 6 when they are in the alarm state include a first alarm sound 7 which sounds when the first medical device 6 detects a situation corresponding to an alarm state. Of course, the first medical device 6 can emit different alarm sounds depending on the nature of the detected situation. The first processing unit 5 is designed, as mentioned in the foregoing, to store a first datum representative of said first alarm sound 7. The first datum may thus consist of a compilation of information (frequencies, etc.) describing physically the first alarm sound 7. Preferably, given that the alarm sounds emitted by the medical devices generally have a multi-frequency character, the first datum is representative of the acoustic spectrum of the first alarm sound 7 , so that said first datum thus constitutes an accurate acoustic signature of the first alarm sound 7.

Advantageously, the first identification code and the first data item are of a digital nature, and are stored on a suitable storage medium 9 integrated in the processing unit 5. This storage medium, which constitutes the memory of the treatment 5, may be of any type known to those skilled in the art, and may for example consist of an optical disk, a "flash" memory or other. The processing unit 5 thus stores in its storage medium 9 a data structure including not only the first identification code and the first data item representative of the first alarm sound 8, but also information making it possible to establish a link correspondence between the first data representative of the first alarm sound 7 and the first identification code for identifying the first medical device 6. According to the invention, the medical alert system 1 further comprises a first display means 10 independent of the first sound sensor 3 and designed to be at a distance from the latter, preferably outside the chamber 4 The first display means 10 is thus distinct from the first sound sensor 3, that is to say that its positioning is independent of that of the first sound sensor 3. The first display means 10 can be of any known type. those skilled in the art, and for example include a screen type LCD screen.

According to the invention, the processing unit 5 is furthermore designed for:

determining, by comparing the surrounding sound picked up by the first sound sensor 3 with said first data stored by the processing unit 5, if said surrounding sound picked up by the first sound sensor 3 includes said first alarm sound 7,

- and if so, display on said first display means 10 a first alert message including at least said first identification code, thus allowing the user to know what type of device it is is.

In other words, the processing unit 5 comprises a processing means 11 which makes it possible to perform the comparison operation of the surrounding sound picked up in the chamber 4 with the first data item stored in the memory of the processing unit. 5, the processing unit being operably connected to the first display means 10 for displaying said alert message if the comparing operation actually makes it possible to establish a correspondence between the first data item and the surrounding sound.

The functional link between the processing unit 5 and the first display means 10 may be of any type known to those skilled in the art, and for example be of wired nature (additional wiring or use of carrier current) or not wired (transmission by radio waves between the processing unit 5 and the first display means 10). The medical alert system 1 according to the invention is thus based in particular on the implementation of the following operations:

- detection of the sound emitted by a medical device,

- identification of this sound to determine if it is an alarm sound, - if it is an alarm sound, sending an alert message on a display means located at a distance from the patient's room, the alert message comprising on the one hand an identification code enabling the user to identify the type of device emitting the alarm and on the other hand the number of the room 4 concerned.

The medical alert system 1 thus allows a remote report on the first display means 10, the alarm issued by the first medical device 6. This postponement in no way interferes with the operation of the first medical device 6 since it does not require any particular parameterization of the apparatus in question or any specific interaction other than that of listening, with the aid of the first sound sensor 3, the sounds emitted by the first medical device. alarm, the nursing staff is informed more reliably and safely, even if the door of room 4 is closed. Indeed, the alarm emitted by the first medical device 6 is communicated, via the treatment unit 5, to the first display means 10, which can be positioned in a suitable place that allows the caregiver to be informed easily .

Thanks to the fact that the first alert message includes the first identification code, the medical staff knows what type of medical device is in alarm, which enables them to make an informed decision, in the interest of the patient. patient and the operation of the service. The caregiver can indeed judge quickly the criticality of the situation, especially when several alarms, possibly from different rooms, are triggered at the same time. Thanks to the presence of the first identification code in the first warning message, the caregiver can quickly and decisively decide in which order will be visited the rooms concerned. The first warning message preferably comprises at least one graphic part, constituted for example by firstly the name of the device as the first identification code and secondly the number of the patient's chamber 4. concerned, but possibly also a sound portion which may for example be constituted by a sound substantially identical to that of the first alarm sound.

It is also conceivable, according to a preferred embodiment, that the medical alerting system 1 comprises a portable warning device 12, designed to be worn by a user and to communicate wirelessly with the unit 13. 5, said portable warning device 12 incorporating said first display means 10. In other words, the warning system 1 advantageously comprises in this case a module whose size and weight are adapted to be transported at all times by a member of the nursing staff, this portable warning device 12 comprising a screen forming the first display means 10 on which the first warning message is intended to be displayed.

Preferably, the portable warning device 12 comprises a telecommunication box of the pager type (or "pager" in English) which can for example be fixed to the clothing of a member of the nursing staff and which signals acoustically the arrival of the first message on the first display means 10.

Preferably, the medical alert system 1 according to the invention comprises a redundant display system with firstly a first display means 10 embedded in a portable warning device 12 and secondly a second display means 14 which is rather intended to be permanently positioned in a predetermined location, for example an intervention center in which the treatment unit 5 is installed and where all the alarms coming from the installed medical devices are centralized in the different rooms of the service concerned.

Advantageously, the processing unit 5 is provided with spectral analysis means for determining by comparing the acoustic spectrum of the surrounding sound picked up by the first sound sensor 3 and that of the first alarm sound, if the surrounding sound picked up by the first sound sensor 3 includes said first alarm sound. Thus, the unity of processing 5 is designed to compare the acoustic spectrum corresponding to the first data with the acoustic spectrum of the sound picked up by the first sound sensor 3 to determine whether a sound substantially identical to the first alarm sound is part of the surrounding sound. Preferably, in order to carry out processing operations, the processing unit 5 comprises a microprocessor (and preferably a digital signal processor or "DSP") which executes a signal processing algorithm, which consists in performing an analysis. spectral sound captured by the first sensor 3 and a spectrum comparison as indicated in the above.

The implementation of spectral analysis means enables a reliable and fine recognition of the sounds emitted by the first medical device 6, which makes it possible to inform the nursing staff wisely by limiting the risks of transmission of false alarms.

Advantageously, the medical alert system 1 according to the invention further comprises means for acquiring the first datum representative of the first alarm sound, said acquisition means itself comprising a sound sensor, which is The acquisition means thus makes it possible to acquire a signal corresponding to the first alarm sound 7, and to transform the signal in question into the first data item representative of the first alarm sound. Thanks to this means of acquisition, the medical alert system has a property of self-learning. Indeed, in this case, the medical alert system 1 preferably comprises by construction no data representative of alarm sound prerecorded in its storage medium 9. The system 1 is instead designed to acquire the data in question as and when needed, thanks to its means of acquisition. It is sufficient for the nursing staff, when a new medical device is installed with a patient as part of the care provided to the latter, to trigger the alarm of the device so that the alert system 1 develops a digital signature of the alarm sound that it perceives and stores this digital signature in the processing unit 5. The digital signature in question, which is preferably constituted by a datum representative of the sound spectrum of the alarm sound, is then compared, in normal operation, to the ambient sound picked up by the first sensor 3 to determine if the device is in an alarm state. The processing unit 5 thus comprises a database which is enriched as and when needed. This self-learning capability of the system 1 also makes it possible to reinforce the reliability of the warning system, since the processing unit will subsequently compare the surrounding sound with a first datum that comes from a sound picked up in the field. , and not a "theoretical" sound prerecorded at the factory in the processing unit 5. Of course, whenever a representative data of an alarm sound is acquired by the processing unit, the user also enters an identification code of the corresponding medical device and associates this code with the representative data in question.

In a preferred embodiment, the medical alert system 1 according to the invention comprises the following components:

a first sound sensor 3 constituted by a module comprising a sensitive microphone 3A,

an amplifier of the signal picked up by the microphone; an analog / digital converter making it possible to convert the analog signal picked up by the microphone into a digital signal;

and a radio transmitter satisfying medical standards (for example ZIGBEE IEEE 802.15.4 standard) making it possible to transmit the digitized signal to the processing unit 5, which comprises a computer acquisition card which itself incorporates a radio receiver satisfying the requirements of medical standards

(ZIGBEE IEEE 802.15.4) as well as a hard disk and a microprocessor (and / or a DSP-type processor) for implementing on the one hand a software based on a signal processing algorithm allowing the sound recognition and on the other hand a user interface software allowing the user to control the system.

It is also conceivable that the processing unit 5 is itself connected to a local computer network so that all the events relating to the operation of the medical alert system (new acquisition, detection of an alarm) can be traced and saved on the central computer server of the institution (hospital center) hosting the system 1. This allows in particular a timestamped archiving of alarms, which can be useful to share responsibilities and improve the management of the service in the event of an incident.

It is also conceivable that the medical alert system according to the invention comprises a module intended to be directly connected to a free communication port of the medical device 6 (to the extent that the latter of course includes such a port, which can be for example a USB port), said module being designed to detect if the device is in alarm state, and, if so, to communicate this information to the processing unit 5 so that the latter generates a warning message on the first display means 10.

Finally, the medical alert system 1 can also be designed, within the limits of compliance with the legal and ethical provisions in force, to capture and / or record the words of the persons in the room where the system 1 is installed, to improve the management of the patient and the management of possible incidents.

The invention also relates to such a method of medical alert capable of being implemented by the medical alert system 1 described above. The medical alerting method according to the invention comprises:

a first step of capturing, with the aid of a first sound sensor 3, the surrounding sound, a first processing step, using a processing unit 5, during which the time is determined by comparison with a first datum representative of a first alarm sound emitted by a first medical device 6 associated with a patient 2 when said first device 6 is in an alarm state, if the surrounding sound picked up by the first sound sensor 3 includes said first alarm sound, said first data being associated with a first identification code of said first medical device 6.

The method according to the invention furthermore comprises, if the sensed surrounding sound actually includes said first alarm sound, a step of displaying a first alert message including at least said first identification code, said step display being performed using a display means 10 independent of the first sound sensor 3 and designed to be at a distance from the latter.

Preferably, and as explained above with regard to the warning system 1, the first processing step comprises, to determine whether the surrounding sound picked up by the first sound sensor 3 includes said first alarm sound, a comparison of the spectrum acoustic sound of the surrounding sound captured by the first sound sensor 3 and that of the first alarm sound. Advantageously, the first processing step is performed on digital signals. For this purpose, the method advantageously comprises, after the step of capturing the surrounding sound and before the first processing step, a digitization step of the sensed surrounding sound making it possible to obtain a digitized signal, the first processing step being in this step. case a processing step of said digitized signal.

The first processing step can be performed in a computer manner, using a suitable program. The invention moreover relates as such to a computer program comprising computer program code means adapted to perform said first process step of the method according to the invention when said program is executed on a computer.

The invention also relates as such to a computer program according to the invention implemented on a support readable by a computer-type device. Finally, the invention relates as such to a medium that can be read by a computer-type device and on which is recorded a program according to the foregoing description.

Advantageously, the method according to the invention comprises a step of acquiring said first datum representative of the first alarm sound, during which:

the first medical device 6 is placed in the alarm state so that it transmits said first alarm sound 8,

said first alarm sound 8 is picked up by means of an acquisition means comprising a sound sensor (preferably constituted by the first sensor sound 3) then transformed into said first data, which preferably consists of information describing the acoustic spectrum of the first alarm sound,

said first datum is stored by the processing unit 5.

In a preferred embodiment, the method according to the invention comprises:

a second step of capturing, with the aid of a second sound sensor, the surrounding sound. For example, this second capture step can take place in a room separate from that in which the first capture step takes place, the second sound sensor then being distinct from the first sound sensor. However, it is quite possible that the first and second capture steps take place in the same chamber, and are performed using a single sensor, the first and the second sound sensor being in this case confused.

a second processing step, using the processing unit 5, during which it is determined, by comparison with a second piece of data representative of a second alarm sound emitted by a second medical device associated with a second patient when said second device is in alarm state, if the surrounding sound picked up by the second sound sensor includes said second alarm sound, said second data being associated with a second identification code of said second medical device. In other words, the second processing step is similar to the first processing step, with the difference that it aims to determine if a second alarm sound, distinct from the first alarm sound, is part of the surrounding sound. captured by the second sound sensor.

The second identification code is advantageously of the same type as the first identification code, that is to say that it identifies the type of the second medical device.

The method according to the invention further comprises, if the surrounding sound picked up by the first sound sensor 3 includes said first alarm sound (which is determined by the first processing step) and if the surrounding sound picked up by the second sound sensor includes said second alarm sound (which is determined by the second processing step):

a step of classification, in order of medical criticality, of said first and second alarm sounds. This classification step aims to confer a rank to each of said first and second alarm sounds, said rank being a function of the importance of the sound considered from a medical emergency point of view. Of course, the ranking method can be user-configurable. For example, it is thus possible to give priority to an alarm signal emitted by a syringe pump with respect to an alarm signal emitted by a cardiology monitor, which means that in this case, at the end of the classification stage, the signal corresponding to the syringe pump will be assigned a higher rank than that of the cardiology monitor.

and a step of displaying, using said first display means 10, the first warning message if the first alarm sound has been classified as being more critical medically than the second alarm sound when of said classification step, ie a second alert message including at least said second identification code if the second alarm sound has been classified as being more medically critical than the first alarm sound during said step classification.

It is also conceivable, alternatively, that the first and second alert messages are both displayed, in an order corresponding to the order of classification of said first and second alarm sounds obtained at the end of the said classification step.

Thus, thanks to this alarm prioritization operation, the work of the nursing staff is facilitated, and this in the primary interest of the patient.

Of course, the medical alert system 1 is designed to implement the method just described in all its dimensions, and preferably comprises means, for example of a software nature, which allow it to perform the different ranking and prioritization steps just described. In other words, the above description concerns both the medical alert system 1 and the corresponding medical alerting method, the description elements concerning the medical alert system being directly applicable to the process and vice versa.

POSSIBILITY OF INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION

The invention finds its industrial application in the design, development and manufacture of medical alarm systems.

Claims

1 - medical alert system (1) characterized in that it comprises:

a first sound sensor (3) designed to capture the surrounding sound,

a treatment unit (5) connected to said first sound sensor (3), said treatment unit (5) storing at least on the one hand a first identification code of a first medical device (6) associated with a patient (2) resting in a chamber (4) designated by a number and on the other hand a first datum representative of a first alarm sound (7) emitted by said first medical device (6) when the latter is in a state alarm, said first datum being associated with said first identification code,

and a first display means (10) independent of the first sound sensor (3) and designed to be at a distance from the latter, the processing unit (5) being furthermore designed for:

determining, by comparing the surrounding sound picked up by the first sound sensor (3) with said first datum, whether said surrounding sound picked up by the first sound sensor (3) includes said first alarm sound (7),

- and if so, display on said first display means (10) a first alert message including at least said first identification code and the number of the chamber (4).

2 - System (1) according to claim 1 characterized in that said first sound sensor (3) comprises at least a first microphone.

3 - System (1) according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the processing unit (5) is provided with spectral analysis means for determining, by comparing the acoustic spectrum of the surrounding sound picked up by the first sound sensor ( 3) and that of the first alarm sound (7), if the surrounding sound picked up by the first sound sensor (3) includes said first alarm sound. - System (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3 characterized in that it comprises means for acquiring said first data representative of the first alarm sound (7), said acquisition means comprising a sound sensor .

- System (1) according to claim 4 characterized in that the sound sensor of the acquisition means is constituted by the first sound sensor (3).

- System (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that the processing unit (5) is connected to the first sound sensor (3) by a wireless communication device.

- System (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6 characterized in that it comprises a portable warning device (12), designed to be worn by a user and to communicate wirelessly with the processing unit (5), said portable warning device (12) incorporating said first display means (10).

- Medical alert method characterized in that it comprises:

a first step of capturing, with the aid of a first sound sensor (3), the surrounding sound,

a first processing step, using a processing unit (5), during which, in comparison with a first datum representative of a first alarm sound (7) emitted by a first datum, it is determined medical device (6) associated with a patient (2) resting in a chamber (4) designated by a number when said first device (6) is in an alarm state, if the surrounding sound picked up by the first sound sensor (3 ) includes said first alarm sound (7), said first data being associated with a first identification code of said first medical device (6), said method further comprising, if the sensed surrounding sound includes said first alarm sound (7), a step of displaying a first warning message including at least said first identification code and the number of the chamber (4), said displaying step being carried out using a means of independent display of the first sound sensor (3) and being out of the room (4). - Method according to claim 8 characterized in that it comprises a step of acquiring said first data representative of the first alarm sound (7), during which:

the first medical device (6) is placed in the alarm state so that it transmits said first alarm sound (7),

said first alarm sound (7) is picked up by means of an acquisition means comprising a sound sensor and then transformed into said first datum,

said first datum is stored by the processing unit (5).

- Method according to one of claims 8 or 9 characterized in that it comprises: - a second step of capturing, with the aid of a second sound sensor, the surrounding sound,

a second processing step, using said processing unit (5), during which it is determined, by comparison with a second piece of data representative of a second alarm sound emitted by a second medical device associated with a patient when said second device is in an alarm state, if the surrounding sound picked up by the second sound sensor includes said second alarm sound, said second data being associated with a second identification code of said second medical device, said a method further comprising, if the surrounding sound picked up by the first sound sensor includes said first alarm sound and if the surrounding sound picked up by the second sound sensor includes said second alarm sound:

a step of classification by medical criticality order of said first and second alarm sounds,

and a step of displaying, using said first display means (10), the first warning message if the first alarm sound has been classified as being more critical medically than the second sound of alarm during said ranking step, ie a second alert message including at least said second identification code if the second alarm sound has been classified as being more critical medically than the first alarm sound when said classification step. - Method according to one of claims 8 to 10 characterized in that the first processing step comprises, to determine whether the surrounding sound picked up by the first sound sensor includes said first alarm sound (7), a comparison of the acoustic spectrum surrounding sound captured by the first sound sensor and that of the first alarm sound.

- Method according to one of claims 8 to 11 characterized in that it comprises, after the step of capturing the surrounding sound and before the first processing step, a step of digitizing the surrounding sound captured to obtain a signal scanned.

- Method according to claim 12 characterized in that the first processing step is a step of processing said digitized signal.

A computer program comprising computer program code means adapted to perform the first process step of the method of claim 13 when said program is run on a computer.

- Computer program according to claim 14 implemented on a support readable by a computer-type device.

- Support that can be read by a computer-type device and on which is recorded a program according to claim 15.