Monitoring pulse and respiration with a non-invasive hydraulic bed sensor.

A hydraulic bed sensor has been developed to non-invasively monitor pulse and respiration during sleep. This sensor is designed for in-home use, to be part of an integrated sensor network for the early detection of illness and functional decline in elderly adults. Experience with another bed sensor has motivated a desire to acquire enhanced, quantitative data related to pulse and respiration. This paper describes a working prototype, the signal processing methods used to extract data from the constructed transducer, and results from preliminary testing.