A new innovation project in Helsingborg is aiming to improve quality of life for the elderly while reducing pressure on healthcare. The Helsingborg-based company Optisense Care has developed a connected toilet seat that uses radar and AI to measure and analyze stool in the toilet – a solution designed to make it easier to detect constipation at an early stage.
Constipation is a common problem among people with dementia and can lead to severe discomfort and serious complications. With this new technology, care staff can receive early warning signals, which in turn can help prevent hospital stays and even emergency surgery.
The idea originated in Helsingborg when nurse Helle Wictor asked herself: “Why don’t we have a toilet that can register stool?” The municipal initiative Innovation Helsingborg picked up her idea and connected her with the IT company EC Solutions. Out of this collaboration, the technology was developed, and earlier this year Optisense Care was founded to bring the product to market.
– We now have a finished product ready to be tested in a real care environment. The first installation will soon take place in Helsingborg municipality, and we already see interest from Malmö and Gothenburg, says CEO Peter Rybäck, who brings long experience from the Life Science sector.
The technology will now undergo a “pre-pilot” in Helsingborg, followed by a patent application and further development to achieve medical device certification. The ambition is to launch on the market in spring 2026.
Optisense Care has so far been supported by private investors as well as the innovation hub Hetch, and is planning a new share issue next summer. Manufacturing is currently carried out in Helsingborg but can be scaled up if order volumes increase.
HID as a Testbed for Societal Benefit
This project is a clear example of how the Helsingborg Innovation District ecosystem functions as a testbed for new solutions. By combining the insights of healthcare professionals with the city’s innovation capacity and the local business community, Helsingborg is fostering innovations that improve both quality of life and the future of elderly care.
Scource to this text is an article published on Rapidus, a digital newspaper that reports about the private business sector, mainly focusing on Scania and the Öresund region.
