No more smart watches, bracelets and rings: make way for the smart toilet seat. An American company promises to revolutionize health monitoring by offering a device that allows you to monitor certain vital signs without having to wear any device… now all you have to do is sit down.
Medical technology company Casana, founded in 2018 by Dr. Nicholas Conn, has raised $46 million in funding to develop a toilet seat equipped with numerous sensors, the magazine reports Forbes.
The sensors measure various vital signs, including blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen level and respiratory rate. The data collected is then transmitted to a mobile application so that users can monitor the progress of their health.
This week, the company is officially launching its first product aimed at the general public: the “Smart Seat”. The seat, sold for US$199, will be available throughout the United States.
Stemming from research originally conducted at RIT, Casana’s “Smart Seat” transforms a regular toilet into a home health monitoring tool, helping older adults age independently.
From an article from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
Its operation is relatively simple. Powered by a battery with a lifespan of two years, the device replaces a traditional toilet seat.
The user must then download an application and create their profile while sitting on the seat to allow the sensors to calibrate their biometric data.
Subsequently, each use of the toilet allows the sensors to automatically identify the user and transmit the collected information to their profile in the application. The data remains confidential, but users can choose to share it, in particular with their loved ones or their doctor.
A different market
Although the seat allows the collection of a large amount of biometric data, it is not intended to make a medical diagnosis, according to Forbes.
Casana’s objective is rather to monitor the evolution of certain health indicators over the long term in order to detect possible anomalies that may require medical consultation.
Elderly people were also at the heart of the product design, since they represent a clientele particularly targeted by the company.
Apple Watch
AFP
Casana thus wishes to stand out from other health monitoring technologies, such as connected watches and smart rings such as the Apple Watch or the Oura Ring, which are enjoying great success with younger generations, indicates the American business magazine.
With its smart seat, the company is instead focusing on health monitoring that fits naturally into daily habits, without requiring additional effort from users.
