A toilet seat which has the ability to measure a patients heart rate and blood pressure that could help hospitals monitor patients for risk of congestive heart failure has been developed by the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).

The seat contains a device that also measures blood oxygenation levels. Algorithms collect all of the data and can let healthcare professionals know if a patient’s condition deteriorates.

It will be presented to the Food and Drug Administration for clearance, with the aim of the device to lower readmissions of patients to hospital with congestive heart failure.

The device was developed as part of a study that has been published in JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 

RIT says: “The toilet seats measure the electrical and mechanical activity of the heart, and can monitor heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygenation levels, and the patient’s weight and stroke volume, which is the amount of blood pumped out of the heart at every beat. Algorithms analyse the data, and with further development, will alert advanced practice providers of a deteriorating condition. A report will be passed along to cardiologists who will then determine if intervention is necessary.”

Nicholas Conn, a postdoctoral fellow at RIT, and founder and CEO of Heart Health Intelligence is part of the team that has developed the device.

He said: “Typically, within 30 days of hospital discharge, 25% of patients with congestive heart failure are readmitted. After 90 days of hospital discharge, 45% of patients are readmitted. And the Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services is penalising hospitals for readmitting patients for heart failure.”