You wait for years for a urinalysis company, and they all hit it at the same time. One of the notable trends at CES in Las Vegas this year the quantification movement is taking place more deeply. No longer satisfied with just measuring heart rate, steps and EKG on your wrist, a new generation of startups is moving towards full medical-grade analysis of users.
Here are a few to keep track of:
Withdrawal
Withings U-Scan. Image credits: Withings.
Health hardware company Withdrawal this week U-Scan release in Europeand announced that they are working with the FDA to secure a US launch. The product uses a hands-free system that can take measurements for up to three months with one cartridge.
Olive
Once you get over the anxiety of having multiple cameras near your litter, Olive can start moving, analyzing your urine as you move. Image credit: Haje Kamps / TechCrunch
Israeli startups Olive recently raised a $10 million funding roundand promises to use only optics for urinalysis. The company uses a special toilet seat, which requires no additional strips or accessories. It initially targets nursing homes and vulnerable populations, but hopes to find a user base across several healthcare sectors.
music
Vivoo Solutions dispenses a strip, then feeds it back for optical analysis. No need to touch. Image credits: Haje Kamps / TechCrunch
music has been making home urine test strips for a long time, and the company has shown the next iteration in its business, with a smart toilet. It is aimed at the healthcare, elderly and healthcare residential market. It provides a convenient alternative for users who have difficulty performing a urine test with a handheld urine test strip.
We can only imagine that they felt a little awkward about the “world first” marketing message at their booth. Especially Vivoo’s booth is located right next to Withing’s, where it is boasting how it has beaten ‘world first’ to market.
This product is a prototype, which will be rolled out more widely in the not too distant future. The company raised a $6 million Series A fund in June 2021. The round was led by Draper Associates.
Chief Executive
So rest assured. Image credits: SZM
Don’t worry, it wasn’t all urine at this year’s CES. We also found SZM – Special Zone Master – which promises to do ‘visual analysis’ of you is different favorite body waste – feces. The company promises to analyze the shape and color of your stools, record the time and frequency of your bowel movements, and detect the presence of blood as well.
“Only by taking a closer look at feces can we find the first signs of a health problem and act before it’s too late,” the company said in its marketing brochure. We were curious to find out more, but couldn’t find the company’s founders – perhaps they were defecatingly worthy. It’s not entirely clear how far the Korean startup has come in its quest to bring its technology to a toilet seat near you.
