Nowadays, tracking health related data has become very easy. As we’ve seen before, the current market is flooded with health trackers and wearables that can help people with the same. But there are a few catches; most health trackers aren’t accurate enough to be taken seriously within the health industry, and they lack the necessary features as well. So now the question is, are there any devices out there that have the potential to become a mainstay in the health scene? With the growing rate of health tech, we already have some very useful devices, but with its patented new technology, a rising startup called bisu from Japan aims to send ripples through the medical industry and help take it to the next level.

Bisu was established with the goal to help people understand and attend to the needs of their body. The company gained widespread recognition when it was featured in Los Angeles based MedTech innovator. This well renowned program seeks and supports companies developing transformative device, diagnostic, and digital health tech in the Asia Pacific region. Bisu was even amongst the program’s top 20 finalists. 

Founded by cambridge graduate, Daniel Maggs; and current bisu CTO and researcher at the University of Tokyo, Wojciech Bula; Bisu deploys its multi-cultural workforce to solve real world problems . Even the idea to start this company stemmed from a very real issue. Daniel Maggs’ father had prostate cancer, and as a result had to urinate on a very frequent basis. This drove him to think about how he could help him while minimizing any sort of effort from his dad’s side. 

Ultimately, Daniel realised that his dad’s frequent visits to the loo could actually be put to good use. Then along with the rest of the crew, Daniel decided to set out on creating a device that could analyze vital health data from urine samples. Of course, such testers already exist, but they are often very bulky and would require the patient to go to specialized medical facilities which would also imply added cost overheads. For this reason, bisu funnelled its resources to create a portable urine tester that is easy to use and provides accurate data. 

Using a CMOS imaging based analytical tool, bisu constructed a pocket-sized device for quick and convenient urine analysis. The company achieved this by changing the traditional shape of dipsticks into matrix arrays and pasted them on reaction units for colorimetric arrays. And to establish the functional relationship between the red-blue-green intensities of images and the concentrations of different indices, chromaticity values were utilised. 

The team managed to shrink down the size of the entire system to a very pocketable 30 x 30 x 45 mm, yet equipped it with sensible functionality. The device can perform over 1000 tests and can last upto 4 hours on a single charge. Moreover, to confirm the accuracy and performance claims, the company tested more than 200 urine samples using the device. And unsurprisingly, the device lived up to its expectations and showed an accuracy in the region of 90% when compared with readings from a commercial device. 

The company has also made the device with features that are relevant and provide comprehensive analysis. It can track ketone levels in the urine which are produced from fat when glucose levels in your body are low to provide energy to your muscles and brain. Moreover, it is also able to measure the two different types of ketones (BHB and AcAc) whereas traditional urine strips are only capable of measuring AcAc ketone levels. It can also measure the PH value of the body, hydration levels, and electrolyte concentration ie., sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium concentration. All of these are very important metrics, that can give you a clear insight about the functioning of your body. Additionally, the companion app which will be available for IOS and Android will provide you with further useful details based on your tests such as the type of food you need to consume, or the amount of activity level you require etc. 

Bisu is still in its infancy. But even though the company is a relatively new player in the healthcare scene, it has already made a big splash by showing up on the top 20 of the MedTech Innovator list. And with the kind of technology and workforce the company possesses, the rapid rise of this innovative new startup is only imminent.