Smart toilet seat proactively helps patients in medical distress – WCVB Boston

'Smart' toilet seat monitors health data to proactively help patients in medical distress

Now in clinical trials, the device might just be the next generation of home care.

Updated: 8:30 PM EDT Mar 13, 2024

ITS A TOY SEAT, AND IT MIGHT JUST BE THE NEXT GENERATION IN HOME CARE. FOR MOST OF THE DATA THAT IS COLLECTED MAY BE MORE APPLICABLE TO FOR SOMEONES HEALTH IS WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM AT HOME. ONLY 10% OF THE DATA THAT RELATES TO A PERSONS HEALTH IS CAPTURED IN THE ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD, AND 90% OF WHAT MATTERS TO SOMEONES HEALTH IS NOT OBSERVED BECAUSE THE PATIENT IS HOME. THE HEART SEAT IS A NEW TECHNOLOGY. NOW BEING TESTED IN A CLINICAL TRIAL AT THE UMASS CHAN MEDICAL SCHOOL IN WORCESTER, CALLED COLLATING OUTCOMES WITH MOBILE MONITORING, OR CAM MODE. THE DEVICE IS CAPABLE OF A HOST OF PASSIVE DATA COLLECTION IN THE SAME WAY A SMARTWATCH MONITORS DATA ON YOUR WRIST. THE SMART TOILET MONITORS DATA THROUGH YOUR BACKSIDE, SO WE JUST SIT OUR BUTTONS RIGHT ON THESE LITTLE SENSORS AND IT DOES ALL THE WORK. IT DOES ALL OF THE WORK LETS US KNOW MORE THAN JUST HEART HEALTH. IT LETS US KNOW HOW SOMEONES FLIGHT OR FIGHT RESPONSE OR WHAT THEYRE STRESS VERSUS REST ROOM UNIT RESPONSES. LEAD RESEARCHER DOCTOR EPPERSON SAYS THE BATTERY LASTS A FULL YEAR. NO PESKY CHARGING ISSUES TEMPERATURE, HEART RATE, OXYGEN LEVELS, A COMPLETE DATA DUMP, ALL RECORDED BY THESE EMBEDDED SENSORS. AND THESE SENSORS ARE CALLED BALLISTOCARDIOGRAPHY, AND IT MEASURES TINY PRESSURE DIFFERENCES AS BLOOD TRAVERSES THROUGH YOUR BUTTOCKS AND THIGH REGION AND BASED OFF OF THAT, BY WITH THE USE OF ADVANCED ANALYTICS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE MODELS, WE CAN ACTUALLY CALCULATE BLOOD PRESSURE. PERHAPS A FUTURISTIC APPLICATION. BUT THIS SMART TOILET MAY SOMEDAY NOT ONLY HELP PATIENTS MONITOR THEIR HEALTH AT HOME, HELP THEIR DOCTORS OBTAIN MORE ACCURATE READINGS, BUT ALSO MAYBE EVEN PREVENT A TRIP TO THE ER. SOMEONE COULD SIT DOWN ON THIS TOILET AND YOU COULD IN THE FUTURE RECOGNIZE THAT THEY MIGHT BE IN DISTRESS OR HAVING AN ISSUE. SEND A MEDIC RIGHT TO THEIR HOME, RIGHT JUST FROM THEIR MORNING BATHROOM ROUTINE. RIGHT? SO THAT IF ITS A PATIENT WHO HAS A LITTLE BIT MORE VOLUME IN THEIR BODY BECAUSE THEY HAVE CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE AND THEY HAD A LITTLE BIT MORE SALT, AND WE CAN GET A PARAMEDIC TO THEIR HOME, PROVIDE SOME MEDICATIONS LIKE LASIK, WHICH ALLOWS THEM TO GET SOME OF THAT FLUID OUT, AND THEN THAT CAN PREVENT A HOSPITALIZATION. DATA WOULD COME IN, THERE WOULD BE A COMMAND CENTER THATS LOOKING AT THE DATA. IF WE THINK THAT ITS THE SUSPICION IS HIGH ENOUGH FOR SOMETHING CATASTROPHIC TO HAPPEN, WE CAN SEND A PARAMEDIC RIGHT AWAY. BUT A STEP BELOW THAT, WE CAN CALL THE PATIENT AT HOME AND ASK THEM HOW THEYRE DOING. UM, SO THE IDEA IS TO BE MORE PROACTIVE AS OPPOSED TO REACTIVE. WOW. THERES TECHNOLOGY FOR EVERYTHING, WHICH IS AMAZING. THE HEART SEAT HAS BEEN INSTALLED IN SELECT PATIENTS HOMES WHO ARE PART OF THE TRIAL, AND VITALS ARE AS UNIQUE AS A FINGERPRINT. SO IF THERES MULTIPLE PEOPLE IN THE HOUSE, YOU CAN JUST COLLECT THE DATA AND THE PATIENT YOURE LOOKING FOR, WHICH IS INCREDIBLE. ALL RIGHT. THAT IS CHRONICLE FOR TONIGHT. THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US EVERYONE. IM ANTHONY EVERETT AN

'Smart' toilet seat monitors health data to proactively help patients in medical distress

Now in clinical trials, the device might just be the next generation of home care.

Updated: 8:30 PM EDT Mar 13, 2024

A smart toilet, similar to your smart watch, is capable of collecting vital data from your daily use of the toilet seat. This includes heart rate, blood pressure and temperature. The seat is being tested by researchers at UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester in partnership with the company Casana.

A smart toilet, similar to your smart watch, is capable of collecting vital data from your daily use of the toilet seat. This includes heart rate, blood pressure and temperature. The seat is being tested by researchers at UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester in partnership with the company Casana.

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Smart toilet seat proactively helps patients in medical distress - WCVB Boston