Designation:F1463–93(Reapproved1999)StandardSpecificationforAlarmSignalsinMedicalEquipmentUsedinAnesthesiaandRespiratoryCare1ThisstandardisissuedunderthefixeddesignationF1463;thenumberimmediatelyfollowingthedesignationindicatestheyearoforiginaladoptionor,inthecaseofrevision,theyearoflastrevision.Anumberinparenthesesindicatestheyearoflastreapproval.Asuperscriptepsilon(e)indicatesaneditorialchangesincethelastrevisionorreapproval.INTRODUCTIONMedicalpracticeinhospitalsisincreasinglydependentonequipmentforobservationandtreatmentofpatients.Soundsandlightsarefrequentlyusedtoindicatethepatient’sphysiologicalstatusandthefunctionalstateoftheequipment.Thesoundsusedarefrequentlytooloudandnotsufficientlydistinctive,anditisoftendifficulttoidentifywhichitemofequipmentissignalling.Thepurposeofthisspecificationistospecifysignals,bothaudibleandvisual,tobeusedtodrawattentiontothefactthatequipmenthasdetectedadisturbanceandtoindicatethedegreeofurgency.Thecontentofthisspecificationwasdevelopedwithcontributionsfromclinicians,engineers,appliedpsychologists,andmusicians.Someofthecriteriaconsideredduringdevelopmentofthesoundsincludedoptimalsignalrecognitioninarelativelynoise-filledenvironment,maximumtransmissionofinformationatthelowestpracticalsoundpressurelevel,easeoflearningandretentionbyoperatorswhohavetorespondtothevarioussignals,andperceivedurgencyofthesounds.1.Scope1.1Thisspecificationcoversdefiningthecharacteristicsandrequirementsofelectricallygeneratedalarmsignalsforusewithmedicalequipmentintendedforuseinanesthesiaandrespiratorycare.Itdoesnotspecifytheconditionthatactivatesthealarms,nordoesitspecifythedevicesusedfortheproductionofaudibleandvisualsignals.ThisspecificationdoesnotaddressinformationalsoundsproducedbydevicessuchasECGmonitors,surgicallasers,andelectrocauteryunits.1.2ThevaluesstatedinSIunitsaretoberegardedasthestandard.2.ReferencedDocuments2.1ISOStandard:ISO3744:Acoustics—DeterminationofSoundPowerLev-elsofNoiseSources—EngineeringMethodsforFree-FieldConditionsOveraRef...
