Spa Executive | Issue 13 | December 2019

The smart toilet may be the
next big thing in health data
Smart toilets may be the next big thing in
smart technology for use in healthcare.
At least that’s the plan of a research and
development team of metabolism scientists
at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and
the Morgridge Institute for Research, who are
working towards creating a toilet that can
decode the abundant metabolic health
information contained in urine to provide
insight into user health.
“A virtual liquid history…”
According to the university’s website, urine
contains “a virtual liquid history of an
individual’s nutritional habits, exercise,
medication use, sleep patterns and other
lifestyle choices.” Urine also contains
metabolic information connected to more
than 600 conditions, including cancer,
diabetes and kidney disease.
The research team is reportedly asking
whether frequent monitoring and testing of
urine samples gleans useful real-time
information about an individual’s health, as
well as whether a technology platform can be
created to make the collection process
simple, accurate and affordable.
Study finds samples reveal real-time
information
A small pilot study conducted this year by
UW–Madison professor of chemistry and
biomolecular chemistry, Joshua Coon, and
Ian Miller, a data scientist with the Coon
research group, yielded some insight into to
the first question. The authors conducted the
study on themselves, collecting 110 urine
samples over a 10-day period and submitting
them for a complete readout of their
metabolic signatures. They also used
wearable technology to track their heart
rates, daily steps, calorie consumption, and
sleep patterns.
13 | Spa Executive Technology