User selectable masking sounds for medical instruments

A medical instrument, comprising:

• a medical instrument for patient care, laboratory use, or pharmaceutical use;
• a computer, the computer forming a part of the medical instrument;
• a microphone operably connected to the computer and positioned and arranged to detect at least one of a sound level or a sound frequency residing outside of and resulting from an operation of the medical instrument;
• a sound card connected within the computer or a sound capability forming part of the computer;
• a speaker for generating sounds from the sound card;
• and
• a control panel for selecting sounds and adjusting a volume of the speaker,
• wherein the computer, the control panel, and the sound card or sound capability are configured to (i) optionally allow a user or operator of the medical instrument to select the sounds to mask the microphone-detected at least one sound level or sound frequency, (ii) generate sounds or optionally the selected sounds from a digital file, (iii) adjust a frequency of the generated sounds, to mask the microphone-detected at least one sound level or sound frequency, so that at least one of (a) the frequency of the generated sounds increases as a sound level output of the generated sounds decreases or (b) the frequency of the generated sounds decreases as the sound level output of the generated sounds increases, and (iv) prevent the generated sounds from producing a siren effect due to a rise and fall of the sound level output or to the frequency of the generated sounds.

A medical instrument, comprising:

• a medical instrument, the medical instrument selected from the group consisting of a blood separation machine, a peritoneal dialysis machine, a hemodialysis machine, an automated drug preparation machine, an automated sample preparation machine, and a machine for pumping or mixing medical fluids;
• a computer, the computer forming a part of the medical instrument and configured for operating and controlling the medical instrument;
• a microphone operably connected to the computer and positioned and arranged to detect at least one of a sound level or a sound frequency residing outside of and resulting from operation of the medical instrument;
• a sound card operably connected to the computer or a sound capability forming part of the computer;
• a speaker for generating sounds from the sound card or sound capability;
• and
• a control panel for selecting sounds and adjusting a volume of the speaker,
• wherein the sound card or sound capability is configured to generate a plurality of sounds from a digital file, and
• wherein the computer, control panel, sound card or sound capability, and the speaker are configured to (i) optionally allow a user or operator of the medical instrument to select and generate the sounds from the digital file, (ii) adjust a frequency of the generated sounds, to mask the microphone-detected at least one sound level or sound frequency, so that at least one of (a) the frequency of the generated sounds increases as a sound level output of the generated sounds decreases or (b) the frequency of the generated sounds decreases as the sound level output of the generated sounds increases, and (iii) prevent the generated sounds from producing a siren effect due to a rise and fall of the sound level output or to the frequency of the generated sounds.

A method for masking undesirable noises made by a medical instrument, the method comprising:

• operating and controlling the medical instrument with a computer having an internal sound capability and a speaker;
• positioning a microphone so as to detect at least one of a sound level or a sound frequency made by and residing outside of the medical instrument;
• enabling a user or operator of the medical instrument to select at least one digital file sound for masking the microphone-detected at least one sound level or sound frequency, the medical instrument optionally programmed for making a default sound selection;
• playing the selected sound using the internal sound capability and the speaker, wherein the microphone-detected at least one sound level or sound frequency is at least partially masked by the selected sound from the internal sound capability and the speaker;
• adjusting a frequency of the selected sound to mask the microphone-detected at least one sound level or sound frequency so that at least one of (i) the frequency of the selected sound increases as a sound level output of the selected sound decreases or (ii) the frequency of the selected sound decreases as the sound level output of the selected sound increases;
• and
• preventing the selected sound from producing a siren effect due to a rise and fall of the sound level output or to the frequency of the selected sound.