Withings U-Scan (2023): a lab in your toilet bowl that reads urine daily

In January 2023, Withings — known for connected scales and watches — announced U-Scan at CES: a pebble-shaped device that clips inside a toilet bowl and turns urine into a health signal. The pitch was that urine holds thousands of metabolites, yet most people test it only once a year, so monitoring should be effortless enough to happen daily.

The hardware is a miniature lab. A thermal sensor detects the urine stream, a pump draws the sample through microfluidic channels into test pods, and an optical module reads the chemical reaction. Multiple pods can be tested at once, results sync over Wi-Fi to the Withings app, and the device attributes data to the right person through a Stream ID that reads the movement and distance of the stream.

Interchangeable cartridges decide what is measured. The launch line-up included Nutri Balance (hydration, pH, vitamin C, ketones) and Cycle Sync (menstrual cycle and ovulation predictions), with each cartridge lasting about three months. Withings framed the whole system as turning the bathroom into a health lab without adding any new daily ritual.

U-Scan launched in Europe in Q2 2023 at €499.95 for the reader plus one cartridge, with US availability following regulatory clearance. The idea survives on the company's site today as a subscription product with automatic cartridge delivery — the toilet has become a permanent product category for Withings.