The Tech has not finished surprising us. On the occasion of CES 2023, the French Withings presented an amazing connected object. Called U-Scan, this new device has been designed to analyze your urine.
Forget the unusual side of the thing, the U-Scan is indeed a device aimed at analyzing your health data. It took the Withings teams four years to develop this particular connected object. The brand has even been helped by experts of all kinds: urologists, gynecologists, nephrologists and even diagnostic specialists in vitro.
“U-Scan’s ability to perform daily urinalysis at home is fully in line with WITHINGS’ mission: to help users access an unprecedented level of health data through frequent measurements”says Mathieu Letombe, CEO of Withings.
How does U-Scan work?
© Withings
This amazing device takes the form of a 90 mm diameter roller, which is placed in the toilet bowl as a deodorant. When you urinate, fluid flows into the pebble. A thermal sensor detects the urine and activates a pump which will take a sample. The latter is then routed to a test capsule. There, the chemical reaction is analyzed by an optical sensor.
Once the analysis is done, the information is transmitted by WiFi to the application HealthMate. It is on this interface that users can consult the analyzes of the U-Scan. The cartridge then rotates slightly to make room for a new test capsule for the next user.
Two types of tests
© Withings
Withings offers two types of pebbles: U-Scan Cycle Syn allows you to follow the menstrual cycle of women, U-Scan Nutri Balance analyzes hydration and nutrition.
The first notes several pieces of information for predict menstrual cycles and determine ovulation window : pH levels, hormonal detection, biomarkers of hydration and nutrition, specific gravity of urine. The second analyzes the pH, the gravity of the urine but also the levels of ketone and vitamin C. The device is therefore able to distinguish a liquid that is not urine.
But then, how do you know who, in the same household, peed? Withings has found a method to find out who owns the urine that flows into the pebble.
“Low-energy sensors embedded in the reader measure multiple variables to identify an individual’s unique urine stream signature, detecting its speed, distance and dispersion, explains Withings. Credentials are confirmed in the app”.
The U-Scan will be launched in Europe in the second quarter of 2023 with a series of cartridges of your choice. It will be offered at 499.95 euros. A subscription formula to automatically receive replacement cartridges will also be offered. Its price is currently unknown. Otherwise, you can buy the cartridges directly on the Withings site. Each cartridge has a shelf life of three months.
