Auditory alarms for physiological data monitoring

1. A physiological data monitoring system for measuring at least one physiological characteristic, comprising:

a sensor unit; and

a monitoring unit in data communication with the sensor unit having a sonification module, said sonification module comprising at least one programmable sound generator module to produce a plurality of signals indicative of a physiological parameter and said sonification module being capable of storing a plurality of control parameters for managing the at least one programmable sound generator module wherein the signals produced have a plurality of frequencies, amplitudes, or frequencies in combination with amplitudes modified in accordance with at least one physiological data value, wherein the sonification module generates frequency tones, at a plurality of predetermined transition points, corresponding to a measured physiological parameter and wherein the transition points represent an appreciable change in the measured physiological parameter.

2. The physiological data monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the appreciable change has a value that is programmable by a user.

3. A pulse oximeter monitoring unit for measuring at least one blood flow characteristic through the application of at least one sensor having a plurality of light sources and at least one photodetector, comprising:

a processor in data communication with the sensor wherein the processor transmits control signals to the light sources;

a data acquisition module in data communication with said processor and said sensor unit wherein the data acquisition module receives input signals from the photodetectors;

a memory module in data communication with said data acquisition module; and

a sonification module in data communication with the memory module wherein the sonification module generates tones, at a plurality of predetermined transition points, corresponding to a measured SpO 2 level, wherein the transition points represent an appreciable change in the measured SpO2 level.

4. The pulse oximeter monitoring unit of claim 3 wherein the appreciable change has a value that is programmable by a user.

5. The pulse oximeter monitoring unit of claim 3 wherein the appreciable change is in the range of 2% to 5%.

6. A method of monitoring a patient's physiological status using a monitoring system that measures at least one physiological characteristic, comprising the steps of:

sensing a value for a physiological characteristic;

transmitting the value to a sonification module;

receiving in the sonification module the transmitted value;

comparing the value to a plurality of predetermined transition points;

if the value matches one of said transition points, selecting a corresponding stored frequency value;

based on the frequency value selected, generating signal waveforms having a frequency corresponding to the stored frequency value;

transmitting the waveforms to a digital to analog converter;

amplifying the converted waveforms;

if the value does not match one of said transition points, identifying at least two transition points that approximate the value;

selecting at least two frequency values corresponding to the at least two transition points;

based on the at least two frequency values, generating at least two signal waveforms having frequencies corresponding to the at least two transition points;

modifying amplitudes of the at least two signal waveforms; and

mixing the at least two amplitude adjusted signal waveforms.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of:

shaping the signal waveforms by mixing the said signal waveforms with a plurality of additional signals.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the plurality of additional signals comprise plethysmographic signals.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of:

mixing the signal waveforms with a plurality of frequency signals to generate a digital waveform.