A bed temperature monitoring system for assessing body movement during sleep

Abstract

A method of monitoring and analysing temperature distribution in a patient's bed during bed rest and sleep is described. The system consists of 16 temperature sensors, a solid-state recorder and a personal computer. The temperature sensors are attached on the surface of a bed mat. The temperature of the 16 measurement points are recorded and stored on a multichannel solid-state recorder, where a programmable reward-only memory (PROM) is used as the memory device. The PROM is detachable from the recorder, and the temperature data is read by a computer. A two-dimensional temperature distribution pattern is obtained by interpolating the temperature between measured points. The system was effective for long-term temperature monitoring without patient discomfort, and it proved reliable and easy to use. The temperature distribution and changes in the distribution indicated body movement and hence periods of sleep.