‘Pebble’ For Your Toilet Reads Your Urine To Tell You About Your Health

A pebble-shaped device no larger than that of a hockey puck can be placed inside your toilet bowl and give you insight into your health that you would have only received through a doctor’s analysis.
 
Consumer electronics firm Withings is introducing a new way for people to keep on top of their health with a urine scanner called ‘U-Scan’. 
 
As you might be aware, pee samples are a window into your bodily functions and are often a go-to test for many diagnoses.

U-Scan brings the entire test process into your home and allows you to receive real-time information on a multitude of data without sending their samples to a lab.
 
The scanner hangs off the edge of the bowl to funnel the urine down into a bowl where a secondary collection device sits. This activates a thermal scanner and a pump to draw the fluids in for testing via a microfluidic circuit.
 
Within the U-Scan is a replaceable cartridge made to last three months before needing to be changed out. This cartridge can determine different biomarkers and is where the actual analysis of your pee is done.

On top of this, it can also determine different users through an energy radar sensor that can detect different “unique urine stream signatures” known as Stream ID.
 
Once the test is finished, it will release the urine into the bowl. For the hygiene-conscious people out there, worry not, the device is cleaned with each flush. 
 
Information collected is then sent to the user through a companion app which will break down the health indexes gathered from their fluids. For example, it can give insight into your pH balance, dietary intake, ketone levels for metabolic levels, and whether or not you’re getting enough vitamin C. You will also receive advice on better hydrating yourself, workout suggestions, and recipes to help you achieve your goals.

The app can also provide cycle tracking for those who experience periods and can test for ovulation windows based on hormonal detection. You are also encouraged to add other information into the app, such as period flow, mood, food, water intake, and cervical discharge, to help better assess your health and cycles.
 
U-Scan will first be available in Europe for €500 (US$531) as it awaits approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before a launch in the US.

 
 
 
[via HiConsumption and Gizmodo, images via various sources]