System and method for distraction of patient during scanning

摘要

A system and method for reducing anxiety of a patient during medical scanning in a medical scanner which may produce significant levels of acoustic noise. A processor or control unit receives a measure of variation in a parameter of the scanner noise during the medical scanning. The processor then generates outputs to audio and video playback units that present an audio-video scenery to the patient during the scanning in accordance with the measure of variation in the parameter of the scanner noise. An image object in the video imagery is linked to the audio signal, so as to distract the patient's attention away from the scanner noise. The audio-video scenery may be switched according to an estimated scanner noise level. An effective distraction of the patient is obtained with a limited audio signal level which is far lower than the scanner noise.

主权项

1. A system for reducing anxiety of a patient during a medical scanning procedure in a medical scanner device creating scanner noise, the system comprising
a processor arranged to receive a measure of variation in a parameter of the scanner noise during the medical scanning procedure, and arranged to generate output signals to audio and video playback units so as to present an audio signal and a video imagery to the patient in accordance with the measure of variation in the parameter of the scanner noise during the medical scanning procedure, wherein an image object in the video imagery is linked to the audio signal, so as to distract the patient's attention away from the scanning procedure, wherein the processor is arranged to receive a measure of variation in the parameter of the scanner noise in the form of one of: a predetermined estimate of temporal evolution of the scanner noise during the medical scanning procedure, a user input indicating a predetermined type of scanning, a signal input from the medical scanner device indicating a type of scanning, and wherein the processor is arranged to increase a sound pressure level of the audio signal prior to a period where a high sound pressure level of the scanner noise is expected based on the measure of variation of the parameter of the scanner noise.