We urinate an average of seven times a day, and we probably pay little attention to the act, other than the color or the particular smell that comes off when we eat asparagus. However, urine is full of information, and health tech company Withings wants to deliver it to your phone with its new U-Scan home urinalysis device.
Unveiled at CES 2023, the puck-like sensor attaches to your toilet and uses a cartridge filled with tiny test cartridges to sample and test your urine. According to Withings, it can automatically detect when someone pees on it thanks to thermal sensors, and can even identify personal stream signatures using a low-energy radar sensor. In simpler terms, U-Scan will know if it was you or your wife who peed on the puck.
Of course, you’ll still have to pee on it to know this, so aim for it.
By the way, it’s not the outside of the glass-reinforced polymer-covered U-Scan that reads the urine sample. Instead, there is a specially designed collection inlet that draws in just the right amount of urine for analysis.
Withings is currently seeking FDA approval in the US, and U-Scan does look for many of the same urine markers that your doctor does. However, Withing noted in the product release that the device is not intended to replace the advice, diagnosis or treatment of a medical professional.
According to Withings, the U-Scan Nutri Balance can read the pH balance (acidity) of your urine. Ketones (carbohydrate levels), vitamin C levels and water balance (hydration). The Withings app will track these parameters and let you know if they are in a “stable” or “optimum” range.
Not only can U-Scan test your nutritional balance, it can also be used for female cycle tracking.
Withings claims its U-Scan Cycle Sync is the first automatic hormone solution. With an accompanying app, it enables daily hormone and dietary biomarker analysis. According to Withings, the information obtained from U-Scan’s urinalysis can assist those seeking to conceive with menstrual cycle prediction and ovulation determination.
All of this information is transmitted to your iPhone or Android device via Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/). It also supports Bluetooth.
The U-Scan is rechargeable via the USB-C port, but don’t worry about taking it out of the toilet every day to recharge. Withings claims the U-Scan has a battery life of three months. And, when you do need to recharge it or replace the test cartridge, the U-Scan comes with a pair of gloves, which is very convenient.
Automated, digital, home urinalysis doesn’t come cheap. U-Scan starts at $499.95 (€499.95), which includes the device and an ink cartridge. After that, the subscription costs $30 (€30.00) per month.
The product will likely ship in Europe early in the second quarter and will ship in the U.S. pending FDA approval.
look at our CES 2023 The hub for all the latest news from the show. We’ll cover everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home devices, so stay tuned for our big stories.
