A pillow-shaped respiration monitor was developed as a vital monitor. A load cell inside the pillow was usedto monitor changes in weight corresponded to respiration precisely. This monitor was evaluated with five different types of mats using standard weights. Thirty-percent smaller signal was obtained from the softest mat compared with the hardest mat. The pillow-shaped respiration monitor was tested for ten healthy subjects with five mats. Head position on the pillow was largely influenced to signal to noise ratio. This monitor was also tested for two bed-ridden patients in total four nights. Respiratory rate and time of body movement, and pillow off condition were monitored from those field tests. Although respiratory rates could not obtained without pillow during sleeping. This monitor can be useful for sleep apnea in bed-ridden patients.
