Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Replacement Toilet Lids and Seats - WHAT IF HEART MONITORING WERE EFFORTLESS? -This Old Toilet 650-483-1139



America is aging rapidly. In the next 40 years, the number of people age 65 and older is expected to nearly double. Of these older Americans, more than 80% will have some form of heart disease.
As medical advances prolong life and help people survive heart attacks, more people end up living with congestive heart failure. This is a chronic disease where the heart muscle is weakened and cannot meet the needs of the body. It affects more than 6.5 million adults in the U.S. and is estimated to cost the country $35 billion in health care costs each year. For congestive heart failure patients, nearly 80% of these health care costs result from hospitalization. The personal costs are high too. Nearly half of those who develop and are diagnosed with congestive heart failure will die within five years.
When these patients are hospitalized and then discharged, nearly half end up back in the hospital within 90 days. One reason is because intermittent visits to health care professionals may miss signs of deteriorating conditions. Another reason is that patients do not always take medications as prescribed nor monitor themselves. Despite physician recommendations, fewer than 10% of congestive heart failure patients monitor themselves for symptoms of deterioration.
I’m a researcher at the Rochester Institute of Technology and founder of a medical device startup. In 2014, when I was working toward my PhD, my adviser, David Borkholder, and I were trying to solve the problem of how patients could more simply and easily monitor their heart health at home without learning a new habit. Could sensors be integrated into a steering wheel? Or a computer mouse? Neither was something that would be used daily by people with advanced cardiovascular disease.
Instead, we came up with another device that is used far more frequently and by virtually everyone: a toilet seat.

HOW PATIENTS ARE MONITORED TODAY

To monitor congestive heart failure at home, doctors and patients still rely heavily on blood pressure cuffs, body weight scales, and portable electrocardiogram monitors. But recent studies indicate that these widely used devices do not appear to reduce hospital readmissions—even when patients are coached remotely over the phone. This is because they just don’t use them consistently enough. According to one study’s investigator, “There remain difficulties in getting heart failure patients even to perform basic aspects of self-care, such as daily weight and BP monitoring.”
A newer technology, the only device with FDA approval for reducing congestive heart failure hospitalizations, is CardioMEMS, an implant that tracks pulmonary artery pressures and relays that information remotely to a medical team. In clinical trials, CardioMEMS demonstrated a 37% reduction in total congestive heart failure hospitalizations. Recent publications indicate that the reduction in hospitalizations can be as high as 46% with an average cost savings of $13,190 per patient within the first year post-implantation.
There are high expectations for current and future technologies such as wearable devices that record physical activity, heart rate, and other data. But these devices can be impractical, adding a significant burden to patients with heart disease by requiring that wearers actively acquire data, regularly wear the sensors, and keep them charged. This can lead to high abandonment rates.



[Photo: A. Sue Weisler/RIT/courtesy of the author]

WHAT IF HEART MONITORING WERE EFFORTLESS?

In 2014, when Borkholder and I first imagined a toilet seat that would monitor heart health, I immediately tested the concept on myself and hooked electrodes to my gluteus maximus to see if this crazy concept had promise. After a few weeks of testing, a proof-of-concept device emerged that was built on top of a toilet seat from the local hardware store.
During the next four years, the two of us, along with Karl Schwarz from the University of Rochester Medical Center, solved many of the fundamental challenges of this type of monitoring. Unlike sensors that are used in a hospital or existing in-home monitoring devices, the toilet seat captures data from nonstandard locations—such as measuring blood oxygenation on the back of the thigh, rather than the finger. We developed custom circuitry and algorithms to work with this data, including one that accurately identifies heartbeats in noisy data.
The seat is installed on a standard toilet. Users are not required to do anything other than sit down, a habit they already have, and one that can practically ensure daily measurements. We’ve published two peer-reviewed journal papers, in 2018 and 2019, and tested the technology on over 300 human subjects to validate the measurements. Currently, this technology is being commercialized with plans in place to seek FDA approval in 2021.
Today, many new medical devices are being created to help people live longer, more productive lives. These technological advances have the potential to shift from a reactive approach to healthcare, to one that is preventative and proactive, while simultaneously lowering the cost of care and improving the quality of life.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Replacement Toilet Lids and Seats - British Authorities Scramble To Find Stolen Solid Gold Toilet- This Old Toilet 650-483-1139




The toilet — worth, by some estimates, up to $1.25 million — was connected to the plumbing in the Blenheim Palace.
Tom Lindboe/Courtesy of Blenheim Art Foundation

British police have arrested a 66-year-old man in connection with the theft of a solid gold toilet from a palace west of London.
The toilet, titled America, is a work of art by the 58-year-old Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. It had been installed for an exhibition at England's Blenheim Palace earlier this week.
Blenheim Palace confirmed the theft in a statement posted on Twitter.
"We are saddened by this extraordinary event, but also relieved no-one was hurt," the statement said. "We are grateful to our staff and to Thames Valley Police for their rapid and brave reactions."
Thames Valley Police believe a group of thieves used "at least two vehicles" to accomplish the task. They broke in overnight and left the scene around 4:50 a.m. local time.
The toilet — worth, by some estimates, up to $1.25 million — was connected to the plumbing of the building. As a result, its removal caused extensive damage. Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the birthplace of Winston Churchill, announced Saturday that it would be closed for the day.

"It's not going to be the easiest thing to nick," Lord Edward Spencer-Churchill, brother of the Duke of Marlborough, told The Sunday Times in August. (The palace is the principal residence of the Dukes of Marlborough.) "Firstly it's plumbed in, and secondly a potential thief will have no idea who last used the toilet or what they ate. So no, I don't plan on guarding it."
America was installed as just one part of an exhibition of Cattelan's work, his first solo exhibition in the U.K. in two decades. Before it was stolen, visitors could book three-minute appointments to use the golden toilet.
The fact that America could actually function as a toilet was key to its message. It had previously been on display at the Guggenheim in New York, where it replaced the standard toilet in a small, single-unit museum restroom.
"The fact that it is very welcoming, inviting for anyone to use, gets to the heart of a lot of questions around exclusivity in the art world and museums in particular," Nancy Spector, the curator who worked closely with Cattelan on the Guggenheim exhibition, told NPR in 2016. "This notion of having a very intimate, private experience with a work of art, and a work of art that speaks dramatically about its own value, is fascinating on many levels."
"When you show the finest art to everyone, to the audience it was made for, you take a risk," Dominic Hare, Blenheim Palace's CEO, wrote in an emailed statement Saturday. "It is deeply ironic that a work of art portraying the American Dream and the idea of an elite object made available to all should be almost instantly snatched away and hidden from view."
Once, Cattelan did offer America to a more private residence: the White House. In 2017, after the Trump White House asked to borrow a Vincent van Gogh painting from the Guggenheim, Spector wrote back to say that the requested work was not unavailable — but America was.
"We would be pleased to help facilitate this loan for the artist should the President and First Lady have any interest in installing it in the White House," Spector wrote in an email published by The Washington Post. "It is, of course, extremely valuable and somewhat fragile, but we would provide all the instructions for its installation and care."
Cattelan has been called "court jester of the art world." In 1996, when he was unable to come up with a piece of his own for an exhibition in Amsterdam, he stole another artist's entire work and attempted to claim credit for it. Cattelan is incredibly successful and has sold single works for more than $10 million.
NPR could not immediately reach Cattelan for comment on the theft of America. In 2018, when The Washington Post asked him what his work meant and why he offered it to the White House, Cattelan responded.
"What's the point of our life?" he said. "Everything seems absurd until we die and then it makes sense."
by Jenny Gathright
http://www. thisoldtoilet.com

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Replacement Toilet Lids and Seats - This $15 gadget makes your toilet glow, and people love it way more than they should - This Old Toilet 650-483-1139






Yes, I can certainly see the appeal of the LumiLux Advanced 16-Color Motion Sensor LED Toilet Bowl Night Light. Is it really deserving of all the buzz it’s getting right now though? Okay fine, maybe it is. This fun little gadget installs in no time and it ensures that you can always see your target when you stumble into the bathroom late at night. You can set it to glow in any one of 16 different colors, change the color as often as you want, and it turns on automatically when you lift the lid!
Here’s the scoop from the product page:

  • MOTION AND LIGHT DETECTION SENSOR – The built in motion sensor detects body heat to automatically illuminate the room when you enter and shut off when you leave. The light detection sensor will deactivate the LED light the instant it detects light is on to maximize battery life.
  • 16 LED COLORS – You can choose a fixed color to fit your mood or choose carousel mode which will cycle seamlessly through every shade of color inside your toilet bowl when activated. Kids love the glowing water of their lighted potty! Colors include blue, teal, red, purple, indigo, green, yellow, amber, orange, white and more.
  • FLEXIBLE ARM – The flexible arm can be bent to secure the unit for any size toilet bowl– resting just below the seat lid and onto the rim. The bendable arms provide a more secure fit than other toilet lights with cheap suction cups.
  • 5 STAGE DIMMER – Make your toilet bowl nightlight glow as dark or bright as you want by selecting from up to 5 different levels of brightness.
  • LIFETIME WARRANTY – LumiLux is your prime source for automatic, illuminated toilet bowl lights. If anything goes wrong with your Lumilux Toilet Night Light we will send you a new one absolutely free.
by Maren Estrada
http://www.thisoldtoilet.com

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Replacement Toilet Lids and Seats - Eight toilet upgrades that could very well change your life - This Old Toilet 650-483-1139

toilet speaker on top
Bidets for days.Edgardo Lagmay via Unsplash
Some people (who lurk on Reddit) believe that Japanese toilets should be a basic human right. In Japan, 81 percent of households have bidets—commonly called washlets—which means that most of the population has extremely strong anal hygiene game. Upgrade your toilet with this range of bidets, from budget options to baller status. If you opt to spring for a washlet, you could also stop buying toilet paper—which could let you break even.
TOTO C200 Washlet Electronic Bidet Toilet Seat
TOTO C200 Washlet Electronic Bidet Toilet Seat
From trusted Japanese brand TOTO, this is a luxury electronic seat that will keep your bum warm and clean.Amazon
Have a spa day every time you need to relieve yourself with this electronic bidet from TOTO. There’s truly nothing like being greeted with a warm seat during cold mornings or winter months. This bidet's water stream is injected with air, which makes for a less harsh and more pleasant experience. It also includes an automatic air deodorizer that neutralizes any pungent odors with filters that clean the air around the toilet.
Kohler Elongated Dual-Flush Intelligent Toilet
Kohler Elongated Dual-Flush Intelligent Toilet
The Ashton Martin of smart toilets.Amazon
If you don’t want to go through the process of installing a bidet and have a budget for extreme luxury, treat yourself to a Kohler intelligent toilet. Kohler is a family-run business that’s been making sleek home products since 1873. This sculpted, elegantly curved toilet looks straight out of a future where everyone has a clean bum. The smart toilet also features a heated seat, a night-light, a hands-free opening/closing, and automatic flush, plus a touchscreen remote. In case the power goes out, this toilet even has an emergency backup flushing mechanism.
BioBidet Bliss BB2000 Elongated White Bidet Smart Toilet Seat
BioBidet Bliss BB2000 Elongated White Bidet Smart Toilet Seat
If you can think of an upgrade to your bathroom experience, chances are this bidet has it.Amazon
If you cherish your bathroom time and want it to be as magical an experience as possible, look no further than the Biobidet Bliss Smart Toilet Seat. There’s a reason it’s called a smart toilet seat. It features oscillating clean technology, a wireless remote, and a heated seat. The wireless remote allows for pressure, temperature, and angle adjustments without reaching around for a handle. With its instant water heating technology, you’ll never have to worry about a blast of cold water on your tush. For midnight bathroom trips, the Biobidet Bliss includes a built-in nightlight and a slow close seat.
Coway Bidetmega 200
Coway Bidetmega 200
The Coway Bidetmega 200 features braille on all the control buttons.Amazon
The Coway Bidetmega 200 includes every feature you’d want in a bidet. Choose between round or elongated models to better fit the shape your home toilet. Instead of buying an entire toilet system, the Bidetmega 200 installs directly onto your existing toilet. The bidet includes a dryer—to help save on toilet paper—and has both front and back washing options. Its four-stage cleaning process starts off gentle, increases pressure for a pre-wash, ramps up to full blast during the main wash, and then calms back down during the final rinse. From the control panel, you can adjust the pressure, temperature, direction, or flow of the water. You can even turn on child-friendly mode and turn on the heated seat. Unlike some lower-end models, you’ll need to plug the bidet into an outlet. The included power plug is 47 inches long, so you’ll have a fair amount of slack.
TUSHY Classic Bidet Attachment
TUSHY Classic Bidet Attachment
Best bidet attachment for a quick water clean fix.Amazon
Turn any toilet into a bidet in 10 minutes with this sleek bidet seat attachment, which features a nozzle adjuster and pressure control knob, so you can control the water angle and pressure to your taste. It requires no extra plumbing or electricity.
Luxe Bidet Neo 120
Luxe Bidet Neo 120
For your basic bum cleaning upgrade.Amazon
Greenco Bidet
Greenco Bidet
Budget-friendly first buy.Amazon

Never tried a bidet before, but curious about what they’re all about? The Greenco Bidet is budget-friendly and easy-to-install, so perfect for first-timers. With its adjustable knob, you can choose your ideal water pressure and adjust the angle of the spray. This thing is a piece of cake to install—only about 30 minutes to set it all up—and fits just about every toilet seat with no special tools required. So, if you’re looking for quick and easy installation, this bidet is for you.
SonTiy Hand Held Bidet Sprayer for Toilet
SonTiy Hand Held Bidet Sprayer for Toilet
For hands-on spraying needs around (and not just on) the toilet.Amazon
Another easy-to-install option is this hands-on SonTiy bidet toilet shower attachment, which features an ergonomic hand sprayer made of heavy-duty solid brass. It’s perfect for people who really like full control over the water spray (that ranges from a gentle bath to a strong toilet jet), and is easily operated with just one hand. Because of its range, this bidet sprayer is multi-functional and can double as a mini-shower, pet sprayer, baby cleaner, or whatever else you wish to spray and clean in the bathroom.
source:  https://www.popsci.com/best-bidets-to-stay-clean/
by popsci commerce team
http://www.thisoldtoilet.com