There has been a recent trend at the CES technology conference in Las Vegas towards companies offering more advanced and medical-grade self-monitoring devices. Withings, a health hardware company, has introduced the U-Scan in Europe and is working with the FDA to bring it to the US.
The U-Scan allows users to take up to three months' worth of measurements with a single cartridge using a hands-free system. This reflects a shift in the "quantified-self" movement, which was previously focused on tracking basic health metrics such as heart rate and steps taken, towards the more in-depth analysis of user health.
Urinating the Truth on Health
Engadget reported that the U-Scan, developed by Withings, is a body fluid analysis device that sits on the edge of a toilet bowl and captures a fluid sample during urination. After about a minute of analysis, the device provides users with information about their menstrual cycle or nutrition, depending on the type of cartridge installed, which is then sent to their phone. This is Withings' first foray into analyzing body fluids and is notable due to the company's reputation in the health technology space.
Olive, an Israeli startup, recently raised $10 million in funding to develop a device that analyzes urine using optics only. The device is a special toilet seat that does not require any additional strips or accessories and is initially targeting the healthcare sector in care homes and for vulnerable populations. However, the company hopes to expand its user base to other healthcare sectors.
Vivoo, a company that developed at-home urine test strips, recently unveiled a smart toilet at a technology conference. The toilet is intended for use in residential care facilities, for the elderly, and in the healthcare sector. It offers a more convenient alternative to hand-held urine test strips for users who may have difficulty performing the tests themselves.
Similar Urine Analysis Tool
The Vivoo booth was located next to the Withings booth, which showcased its product for analyzing urine, leading to some awkwardness due to both companies claiming to be the "world first" in the market.
The urine analysis product discussed in the previous paragraphs is currently in the prototype phase but is expected to be more widely available shortly. In June 2021, the company behind the product raised $6 million in a Series A funding round led by Draper Associates. Following a TechCrunch statement, in addition to the urine analysis products, there was also a company at the CES technology conference called SZM that claimed to be able to perform "visual analysis" of feces, including analyzing its shape and color, tracking the frequency and timing of bowel movements, and detecting the presence of blood.
According to its marketing materials, SZM believes that examining feces more closely makes it possible to identify early signs of health problems and take action before it is too late. It is unclear how far along the Korean startup is developing its technology or when it might be available on a toilet seat. The company's founders were not present at the conference, leading to speculation that they may have been taking a break.
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