Sonifying Vital Sign Monitor Audio

Description:

The Electronic Vital Sign Monitor is integral in many hospitals. This machine generally measures heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen level, body temperature, and respiratory rate. The current monitor deployed in hospitals audibly represents only heart rate and blood pressure. Heart rate is sonified through rhythm: the audible beep indicates a heartbeat and the silence signifies the gap between each heartbeat. Blood pressure is sonified into audio by pitch: the higher the pitch, the higher the blood pressure. However, the current model could be expanded to sonify a third datum point. We propose to integrate blood oxygen level into the audio by altering the timbre of the audio signal.