Raphael Thys
Olive Diagnostics Toilet-Based Device Uses AI to Check for UTIs, Heart Failure & More
KG, created by Olive Diagnostics, is a hands-free, noninvasive, AI-based optical device that can be mounted to any toilet. According to the company, it can be used at any home or clinic in the world to accurately detect biomarkers for medical conditions and diseases including certain types of cancers related to the prostate, ovaries, or kidneys; heart failure; dehydration; kidney stones; and inflammation in the urinary bladder.
KG can identify 3,100 molecules in urine, such as red blood cells, protein, ketone, and creatinine, as well as other urine characteristics such as volume, pressure, color, and frequency, Olive Diagnostics reported in a news release. Using cloud-based AI technology, KG calculates molecule concentrations through proprietary algorithms, analyzes and tracks collected data, and alerts users to any changes or anomalies.
The company claims that because of its continuous monitoring, KG can alert users to presymptomatic issues, sometimes weeks before symptoms occur, which
makes the device an ideal tool for the elderly, where early detection can improve the quality of life and of care.
The clinical trial, conducted by TechnoSTAT, was designed to check the system’s ability to detect protein in urine in more than 900 samples. On a single test made to mimic the traditional urine stick method, KG showed a sensitivity rating of 92.8%, and its specificity rating was 95.5%. According to the United States National Institutes of Health, urine sticks have a sensitivity rating of 80% and specificity of 95%.
Olive Diagnostics said in the release that it considers the real value of KG to be its ability to monitor urinations continuously. TechnoSTAT found that KG achieved a sensitivity rating of 98.7% and a specificity rating of 100% on simulated five daily urinations. Therefore, the company claims, the system is not only able to perform the tests passively with no user behavioral changes, but it is also more accurate than urine sticks that constitute the gold standard for home-based diagnosis.
The company has completed its ISO 13485 certification, which will enable it to commercialize this technology and begin sales in the EU. The device is also in FDA's presubmission phase in the United States.
Olive Diagnostics isn't the only company working on toilet-based health monitoring. Casana's “The Heart Seat” aims to monitor heart rate, blood oxygen level (SpO2), EKG, cardiac output, and blood pressure while patients occupy the toilet seat.
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