To help provide better in-home medical care, researchers from the Netherlands and Germany have developed a digital urine analysis device that can monitor hydration levels and help detect other potential health issues.
- 05 February 2020
Over 2 billion urine tests per year are often incorrect, time-consuming and, above all, unpleasant to take. People usually have to laboriously urinate in a cup – even when they don’t have to go. The sample is then processed through many manual intermediate steps. Medipee solves this problem by analysing the urine where it is released.
Did you know that whenever you use the bathroom you are literary flushing valuable medical information down the toilet? That’s because urine can be used to detect a number of common diseases, and diagnose conditions like urinary tract infections, kidney disorders, liver problems and diabetes – to name a few. It is also an easy way to monitor hydration and glucose levels.
Unfortunately, urine is typically only analysed during a visit to the doctor. And although there are home-based tests available, these tend to be cumbersome – requiring one to urinate into a cup and send the sample in for analysis.
To make better use of the plethora of information found in urine, with the support of the EU-funded DigiPee project, researchers have developed Medipee: a simple, digital device for in-home urine analysis.
Automatic analysis
The core of the Medipee platform consists of an apple-sized measuring device attached to the outside of a toilet. As soon as a sensor, which is placed over the top edge of the toilet, detects urine flow, the automatic measurement takes place in seconds. The gathered information is sent directly to a smartphone, tablet, or computer, from which the dedicated app evaluates the data securely. The analysis is presented to the user and, when selected, to a healthcare provider.
The Medipee device can be calibrated to automatically analyse various parameters. This is done by inserting different cartridges, depending on the user’s requirements. The company plans to create cartridges to cover all conventional urine test values, including blood, ketone, glucose, pH, pregnancy, ovulation, and special markers for drugs or cancer. The cartridges work similar to printer cartridges and allow the user to add different parameters at different times.
Multiple benefits
The Medipee system was designed for both private and professional customers. The device is particularly well-suited for Europe’s ageing population, many of whom opt to remain in their homes (as opposed to living in a nursing home). Medipee helps empower this population to continue living at home by providing them with a simple device that puts preventative care into their hands.
Because Medipee reduces the risk of disease through early detection via improved analysis and more frequent measurements, the system has preventive and diagnostic benefits. For example, one of the leading causes of hospitalisation for the elderly is dehydration. With Medipee, hydration levels are regularly watched, thus preventing the need for expensive hospital stays. In fact, one day in a normal hospital room costs more than purchase and installation of the Medipee system.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “DigiPee - Health improvement using automated urine analysis” is EUR 1 441 067, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 720 533 through the “Interreg V-A - Germany-The Netherlands” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Research and innovation”.