Exhibit 10.6

VIASYS Healthcare Inc. Management Incentive Program

Since November 2001, when the spin-off of VIASYS Healthcare Inc. ("Company") from Thermo Electron Corporation was completed, the Company
has maintained an annual management incentive program (the "Program") for certain employees designated by the Company. Generally, employees eligible for designation by the Company must be regular,
exempt, full-time management and key contributors of the Company and its subsidiaries.

The
Program is available to employees who have commenced employment with the Company prior to the start of the fourth quarter in the relevant Program year. To the extent an employee is
not employed with the Company for a full year, an employee may be eligible for a pro-rated payment for a partial year of service based on his/her commencement date. In order to receive an
incentive payment under the Program, the employee must be continuing in the service of the Company, and must not have provided notice to the Company, on the date of payment.

Program Outline

The Program is comprised of three performance measures:



On
an annual basis, the Company establishes the EPS and SBU targets and approves the individual performance objectives for the Chief Executive Officer. The Chief Executive Officer
approves individual performance objectives for each of the executive officers, and the business units establish individual performance objectives for all other eligible employees.

Actual
incentive payouts are established on an annual basis and range from 0% at below minimum performance, 100% (or one times target bonus) at target performance and 200% (or two times
target bonus) at or above maximum performance. Each eligible employee is assigned a target bonus amount indicated as a percentage of his/her base salary and has the potential to earn this target bonus
if the prescribed Company, SBU and individual objectives are achieved. Target bonuses for employees in our corporate office are based only on achievement of Company and individual objectives. A
percentage of each individual's bonus eligibility is tied to the applicable factors described above and weighted based upon the relative importance of each of the performance factors to the
individual's job.

Unless
approved by the Company, if actual EPS during any Program year is below the minimum EPS goal established by the Company, no incentive payment is made to any employee even if
his/her SBU operating income and individual objectives are met.

Incentive Payments

Annual incentive payments are typically paid before the close of the first calendar quarter following the end of the Program year.

Oversight & Approval

The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors is responsible for the review and oversight of the Program.

This
description of the Program is a summary of the Program as it has operated from the date of the spin-off. In any given year, the terms and conditions of the Program may
be amended as the Company deems appropriate in its discretion.

---



2005 Target Bonuses for Named Executive Officers

|Name             |  | Title                                                                          |  | Target Bonus as a % of Base Salary |  
|---------------- |  | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |  | ---------------------------------- | -
|Randy H. Thurman |  | Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer                                  |  | 100                                | %
|Lori J. Cross    |  | Group President, NeuroCare                                                     |  | 50                                 | %
|Martin P. Galvan |  | Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Director of Investor Relations |  | 60                                 | %
|Mahboob H. Raja  |  | Group President, International                                                 |  | 50                                 | %
|Edward Pulwer    |  | Executive Vice President and Group President, Respiratory Care                 |  | 50                                 | %

---



QuickLinks