本研究提出「新型長期臥床病患體重量測系統」設計，假設在一定時間內，減壓氣墊床之氣體排氣量與人體體重成正相關。為證明此一假設，本研究整合減壓氣墊床、氣體洩壓流量量測系統、自製氣流控制閥等設備，進行人體重量模擬之標準「氣體排氣量－時間－體重(V-T-W)」曲線量測及繪製，並與人體實測之V-T-W曲線比對分析，以推估實際體重，同時亦針對系統是否可使用於不同氣墊床之變因進行探討。研究結果顯示，「新型長期臥床病患體重量測系統」可推算出受測者體重，並可適用於不同型式之氣墊床。期望未來能進一步研究提升量測精度至±1Kg。目前本系統仍為實驗室之原型，成本偏高，未來將對系統部分重要組件尋求成本較低且功能相同之替代品，可有效降低成本並加速系統商品化之進程。

The purpose of this research study is to propose a convenient and time-saving system designed for use as a bed scale designed for weighing bedridden patients. With this novel system, caregivers can reduce the likelihood of occupational injury and work stress. In addition, use of the scale reduces the rate of malnutrition in long-term bedridden patients. The system measures quantity of air exhaust from a hoverbed per unit of time to weigh patients; the quantity is assumed to be positively correlated to body weight. To verify this assumption, a hoverbed was used with a device designed to measure the volume of air flow per unit time; also custom-designed air control valves were integrated into the unit to measure standard volume-time-weight (VTW) curves of measurements taken for patients with different body weights. The body weight of the patient can be acquired by comparing and analyzing the differences between the standard and the actual subject VTW curves. The experimental results show the bedridden patient weight measuring system can measure a patient’s body weight; the system can be integrated to work with different models of hoverbeds. The accuracy of the proposed system still needs improvement; an accuracy of ± 1 Kg is suitable for application to a clinical setting. Also, the current laboratory prototype is too expensive for mass production. Seeking low cost alternatives and reducing costs are also important issues which need to be addressed to accelerate commercialization of the purposed system.