Casana Clinical Studies and Research

Come SIT for science! Casana engages in scientific research to take us closer to our vision of delivering trusted monitoring solutions for your home.

Research Lab

Just sit. We’ll take it from here.

Casana is looking for research volunteers to join us to have their vital signs measured by the Heart Seat! Participants will be compensated for their time, and would be supporting the advancement of effortless telemonitoring.

In-Home User Experience Study

Home bathroom

Compensation: Participants will receive a $50 gift card for taking part in this study.
Location: Boston, MA and Rochester, NY

The goal of this early in-home observational study is to test and refine the user’s experience of utilizing the Heart Seat, measuring users’ perception of the Heart Seat in concept, and evaluating users’ experience physically interacting with the Heart Seat.

SIT Lab Study

Sit lab

Compensation: Participants will receive $25 to $45 for taking part in this study.
Location: Rochester, NY

This study is an observational study with the objective to evaluate performance of the Heart Seat relative to gold standard measures for the electrocardiogram, blood pressure, blood oxygenation, and respiration rate.

Virtual Survey

Lady sitting at home

Compensation: Participants will be entered in a raffle to win a $100 gift card for taking part in this survey.
Location: Virtual

This Virtual Survey gives you a chance to participate in Casana’s journey of transforming healthcare, from wherever you’re located around the country.

Our Valued Research Partners

  • Uf health logo
  • St ann logo
  • Roch uni logo
  • Rit logo
  • Jsl logo
  • Aarp badge

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use the Heart Seat? Open Close

  • Sit on the Heart Seat as you would a standard toilet seat, and urinate and defecate as you would normally.

  • Sit on the seat such that you are making skin contact from your buttocks and thighs with the two metal sensors (ECG sensors) and plastic window of the pulse oximeter sensor.

  • Do not lean back against the seat cover.

  • Do not use a disposable paper seat cover or a toilet seat cover that covers the sensors on the seat.

  • Nothing should be put between the bumpers of the toilet seat and the toilet seat bowl.

  • The most consistent physiological readings will happen if you:
    • Sits on the seat for at least 90 seconds.

    • Sits calmly on the seat without excessive movement.

    • Wait 10 seconds or until the pulse oximeter light (red LED) goes out before sitting again after getting off of the seat.

Who will have access to my health data? Open Close

  • Only Casana designated research personnel and affiliates may use the de-identified demographic data and data pulled from the Heart Seat in order to further develop and improve the technology.

  • Your information may be provided to The Department of Health and Human Services and The US Food and Drug Administration. In the event that this may occur, your personally identifiable data will remain undisclosed.

  • This information will only be used with the purpose of improving the Heart Seat and Casana platform. If the results of a study are made public, information that identifies you will not be used. The data would only be provided to the Department of Health and Human Services or the FDA if an inspection of study records is mandated.

How will the Heart Seat know it’s me? Can my guests or family members use the seat? Open Close

  • The Heart Seat will use a combination of factors from the onboarding / initialization session to distinguish between people within a household. This means that the Heart Seat dashboard will report data only when the system identifies that it is you who sat on the seat.

How should I clean or maintain the Heart Seat? Open Close

  • The seat can be cleaned with normal household cleaners. If you prefer to use hospital-grade cleaners, those can also be used to clean the seat.

  • The seat should not be immersed fully in water or put into a dishwasher to be cleaned.

  • The top of the seat should be clear of grime and dirt to ensure the sensors make good contact with the skin.

  • While the hinge is a “slow-close” hinge that should prevent slamming of the seat, the seat should not be forced down or intentionally slammed.

  • The batteries in the seat are designed to last for at least 2 years. The user should not attempt to open the battery door unless instructed by Casana.

May I cancel my permission to use my information as part of the study? Open Close

Yes, you may cancel your permission to use and disclose your health information at any time. You can do this by sending a written notice to the research team at research@casanacare.com or by calling 585-333-4201. Upon receiving written notice, the research staff will no longer gather additional health information and will schedule a time to reinstall your original toilet seat. Information that has already been gathered may be used for the study's research purposes.