Every day, we are sending out a wealth of information about our health. The idea of testing our feces may seem squeamish, but such tests can provide information about diseases such as infectious diseases, certain cancers, and diabetes. During the coronavirus pandemic, scientists were able to monitor the spread of viruses by testing wastewater for viruses and mapping the amount of virus in the wastewater and where it came from.

■ Simplifying long-term patient monitoring with advanced toilet automation

Advanced toilets may include stool sampling equipment. For example, cameras may be used to monitor stool density or urine flow. Future toilets may also be able to collect and process stool samples. Automating sample collection at home could make routine testing more convenient. Automation could also simplify long-term patient monitoring. Because patients can provide regular updates to their healthcare providers without any special effort.

People with food allergies or sensitivities to certain foods could gain detailed insights into the foods that trigger their allergies by combining a smart toilet with a food diary. Many people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) keep a food diary to find out which foods trigger their symptoms. If this food diary were an app that the toilet could access, comparing the food consumed with the stool could provide valuable information about how the person’s body reacts to certain foods. With enough data, the application could even predict trigger foods.

Continuous health monitoring is also an interesting trend for consumers who are interested in health and fitness. There is a joke in running and cycling clubs that if you don’t track your activities using a smart device, you haven’t exercised. People who want to share every run or ride may also want to share their bathroom activities and personal records with their followers through their social feeds.

■ Capturing various health indicators using optical sensors

The smart toilet’s machine learning algorithm builds user profiles and learns each person’s behavior patterns, so it can detect deviations from the norm and notify the user. In conjunction with the machine learning algorithm, traditional urine test strips can be used to provide reliable test results on the spot.

Urine test strips change color depending on the concentration of parameters such as pH, glucose, protein, ketones, and blood by containing reagents. By using urine test strips containing multiple reagents, more than a dozen tests can be performed with a single strip. By using optical sensors to interpret the color results of multiple test strips, the smart toilet can quickly capture a variety of health indicators from urine, thus giving users early warning of signs of things like urinary tract infections (UTIs), diabetes, kidney disease, and pregnancy.

One challenge, however, is how to maintain it. When a smart toilet stops working properly, will the user call a plumber or an IT technician? Manufacturers will need to provide customer support, trained technicians, and replacement parts. Installation may also require electrical work, since many bathrooms do not have a spare outlet near the toilet.

■ User identification is key

A key step to making a smart toilet work is user identification. For this, researchers at Stanford University have come up with a solution that uses a scanner to capture the unique butt prints of users to identify them. Let's skip the specifics.

The point is that the biggest challenge for smart toilets to be adopted is social rather than technical. People have to agree to having their most sensitive data analyzed. In short, overcoming disgust is the first hurdle to adoption.

Data privacy will become more important than ever. The information that smart toilets collect will be shared with healthcare providers, so it must be treated and protected as medical information. Another thing smart toilet users want is to prevent sensitive data breaches or targeted advertising based on their bathroom habits. To do this, the smart toilet’s wireless transmitter will need to transmit encrypted information to a database.

There are also ethical concerns surrounding the continuous monitoring of people's waste. Smart toilets can detect the presence of alcohol, prescription drugs, or illegal drugs that users want to hide. If you are a guest in a house that has a smart toilet, is there a way to turn off the smart function and make it behave like a traditional toilet?

Finally, sensitive electronic devices in the bathroom will need to be adjusted and cleaned periodically to keep them in optimal working order. The bathroom is a harsh environment for electronic devices, so electrical wiring and components should be sealed to prevent moisture from entering. Toilets can also harbor germs that can contaminate tests or produce erroneous results.

■ Smart toilet, diagnosis and health monitoring at once

We don’t like to think about our own waste, but the real waste is the valuable information we throw away about our health every day. Smart toilets offer interesting diagnostics and health monitoring. But the biggest hurdle to adoption is that users have to consent to having their most personal data analyzed.

Another article from Mouser shows how smart toilets enable advanced health monitoring.

※ Contributor
Matt Campbell / Mouser Electronics