Non-intrusive, continuous monitoring of the health status
and well being of patients on the bed is one of the most
challenging and difficult but important problems in
hospitals and nursing homes. Ill and frail individuals
residing within healthcare facilities such as acute care
hospitals, community hospitals, nursing homes and
chronic sick units routinely require the monitoring of
basic physiological parameters that include body temperature,
pulse rate, respiration rate and blood pressure. Such
surveillance provides a means for healthcare providers to
track the state of health of individuals under their care. For
example, an abnormal rise in temperature may indicate the
presence of sepsis that would require assessment and