Device filters out noise for ICU patients

Editor's Note

Researchers in the departments of anesthesia and biomedical engineering at Vanderbilt University have created a device that removes alarm sounds while preserving an ICU patient’s ability to hear human and environmental stimuli, notably speech.

The in-ear device, which is worn by the patient, eliminates alarm sounds from the patient’s perspective by digitally subtracting sound waves while preserving and improving speech comprehension.

The researchers also are developing a device that would transmit alarm signals directly to the nurse and physician caring for a particular patient.

A team of investigators at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) wants to improve patient outcomes in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) settings by silencing audible medical alarms in hospital rooms. Auditory medical alarms have created hazards for patient recovery, said Joseph Schlesinger, M.D., assistant professor of Anesthesia, Division of Critical Care Medicine at Vanderbilt.