The best way to know your health. We have integrated a medical device into a toilet, allowing people to take an autonomous exam related to several health parameters, with simplicity and regularity.

Project Information

ablute_

Grant agreement ID: 101114524

DOI

10.3030/101114524

Project closed

EC signature date 1 June 2023

Start date 1 July 2023

End date 31 December 2024

Funded under

• European innovation ecosystems

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 75 000,00

Coordinated by

EXOTICTARGET - LDA
Portugal

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ablute_ (The best way to know your health. We have integrated a medical device into a toilet, allowing people to take an autonomous exam related to several health parameters, with simplicity and regularity.)

Reporting period: 2023-07-01 to 2024-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Regular screening is the most reliable method to early detect diseases. However, the current options to perform medical exams do not offer the feasibility of increasing examinations due to the time-consuming process of scheduling appointments and collecting samples and the high costs for patients and governments. Moreover, the overload of work that recurrent screening would represent to human resources and the fact that methods of sample collection can be invasive, discouraging examination, can also impair the increment of examinations. The gap within the frequency of health examinations must be fulfilled through an affordable solution that enables people to take health exams with simplicity and related to a wide range of conditions simultaneously, providing physicians with the information needed for the early detection of diseases.
ablute_ proposes a device that performs a complete health analysis delivering simplicity to the health examination and fostering regularity. In this project we aimed to build a toilet with outstanding features for water-saving, hygienization, and space efficiency, that integrates a medical device to automatically perform urinalysis and delivers immediate digital results. The equipment analyzes several biomarkers simultaneously and delivers immediate results via software. If a sign of a condition is detected an alert is emitted, catching the physician and patient's attention to that condition at its early stages.
Our product will assist physicians in the early diagnosis of multiple conditions, being an excellent tool to improve health care. Moreover, since we are using a toilet that automatedly collects and analyzes urine samples we offer patients a comfortable and practical experience.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During this project, we developed a toilet that saves 90% water, self-cleans, and integrates a medical device for urinalysis based on a device Lab-On-a-Chip (LOC). The reusable LOC quantifies multiple biomarkers simultaneously, using an aptamer-based Field-effect transistor (aptasensor) for enhanced specificity and longevity. Aptamers are nucleic acid ligands (RNA, ssDNA) selected in vitro, offering reduced immune response and batch variability. They bind to a wide range of targets (ions, molecules, proteins, cells) and have a longer lifespan due to reversible denaturation. Aptamers are crucial in diagnostics, detecting biomarkers for diseases like infectious, oncological, cardiovascular, and neurological disorders.The LOC was optimized for the measurement of urine pH, and immunoglobulin G (igG) and other selected biomarkers will follow suit, supporting diagnostics for various diseases.
A software was developed for efficient water usage, automatic cleaning, and real-time urinalysis visualization. The beta version stores data (e.g. pH, IgG) and includes an intuitive GUI for easy data visualization and storage in different formats (e.g. CSV). Pilots at medical facilities are underway to validate the system's impact and user feedback.
The toilet hardware is market-ready as a spin-off product, and a functional prototype is available at our office. The medical device is ready to be incorporated into the toilet through a system we are developing that allows the automatic change of chips in case a defect is detected or the usage limit is attained, ensuring reliability.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

During the project, all components have either been completed or are at an advanced development stage. The toilet was designed to be fully functional and optimized, saving 90% water, providing an enhanced user experience. The LOC technology was developed to measure multiple biomarkers, including urine pH and Immunoglobulin G (IgG), essential for indicating conditions such as urinary tract infections, kidney failure, and metabolic disorders. Additional biomarkers will follow soon. The pilot results will be crucial for fine-tuning the solution and validating the certification as a medical device. These tests will also help familiarize users with the technology, facilitating its market adoption. Furthermore, two international patent applications have been filed for the developed technology, with the patent for the toilet hardware already published. The project's impact is significant, as it can improve early detection of non-communicable diseases, reduce healthcare costs, and ease the strain on health systems. The technology allows for increased screening frequency and early detection of specific diseases, such as prostate cancer, enabling quicker treatments and better patient outcomes. Additionally, reducing costs per analysis and the environmental benefits, such as water conservation, are also important impacts. By automating processes and reducing costs, the technology empowers individuals to engage more in preventive care. Certification as a medical device is the key priority to move forward with commercialization, and the completion of the pilots will be essential for measuring the full impact of the solution.

Picture of ablute_ toilet closed (left) and open (right) installed in a real environment.