A system for tracking an infectious disease in a population comprising an analytical toilet configured to analyte a sample of excreta or sputum from an individual in the population, to thereby determine whether the individual is positive for the infectious disease; a processing module configured to link each positive result with the date and time it was determined; a communication module for communicating data comprising the linked positive result and date and time to an authority, thus providing the authority with information required to track the infectious disease in the population is disclosed.

A system and a method to obtain clearance is disclosed. The system includes user identification hardware configured to establish identity of the user. The system also includes a toilet configured to analyze a sample of excreta or sputum from the user, to thereby determine the status of the user with respect to a pre-determined condition. A processing module is configured to link the identity of the user with the status of the user. A communication module communicates information including the linked identity and status of the user to an authority. As such, the authority is provided the information required to grant or deny clearance to the user. Clearance may include allowing a user to use one or more forms of public transportation, be in places where large numbers of people congregate, participate in an athletic competition or other places or activities where the condition of the user may put themselves or others at risk.

Provided herein are containers for holding a portion of a biological sample such as a fecal sample. The containers include a body that can be sealed with an upper cap that is attached to a sampling pin and a grip member. The sampling pin is configured to collect a predetermined amount of sample in one or more sampling grooves, with excess sample amount optionally removed from the sampling pin by an interior flange of the container body. The grip member is configured to provide the user of the container with improved torque and grip, and to distance the fingers of the user from the sample being collected. Also provided are kits and methods including the disclosed containers.

An object is to provide a stool-receiving sheet for stool collection that offers good floatability and dispersibility on/in water. As a solution, a stool-receiving sheet for stool collection is provided whose compounding quantity of a softwood pulp with a lumen width (l) to fiber diameter (D) ratio (l/D) of 0.6 or lower is 40 percent by weight or higher, while compounding quantity of a sizing agent is 0.05 percent by weight or higher but no higher than 0.12 percent by weight, relative to the total quantity of papermaking fibers, and whose density is 0.60 g/cm.sup.3 or lower.

A sampling method using a sampling device (2) comprising a container (5) comprising a body (6) consisting of a soft pouch, and a lid (30), in which at least one among the container (5) and the lid (30) is provided with a discharging member (40) suitable for, in an open state, discharging at least one part of the gases contained in the internal space (7) of the body (6) of the container (5), wherein the sampling method comprises the steps consisting in: collecting a biological material in the body (6) of the container (5), and assembling the lid (30) on the neck (IO) of the container (5), and placing an internal space (7) of the body (6) of the container (5) under anaerobic conditions by placing the discharging member (40) in the open state, by compressing the body (6) of the container (5) and by placing the discharging member (40) in a closed state.

The present disclosure provides compositions, e.g., formulations, used for gastric, gastrointestinal and/or colonic treatments or lavage, e.g., orthostatic lavage, e.g., for inducing the purgation (e.g., cleansing) of a gastrointestinal (GI) tract, including a colon. compositions of the invention are used for the stabilization, amelioration, treatment and/or prevention of constipation, for the treatment of abdominal pain, particularly non-specific abdominal pain, and diarrhea, including diarrhea caused by a drug side effect, a psychological condition, a disease or a condition such as Crohn's Disease, a poison, a toxin or an infection, e.g., a toxin-mediated traveler's diarrhea, or C. difficile or the pseudo-membranous colitis associated with this infection.

The present disclosure provides compositions, e.g., formulations, used for gastric, gastrointestinal and/or colonic treatments or lavage, e.g., orthostatic lavage, e.g., for inducing the purgation (e.g., cleansing) of a gastrointestinal (GI) tract, including a colon; and methods for using them. Methods of the invention are used for the stabilization, amelioration, treatment and/or prevention of constipation, for the treatment of abdominal pain, particularly non-specific abdominal pain, and diarrhea, including diarrhea caused by a drug side effect, a psychological condition, a disease or a condition such as Crohn's Disease, a poison, a toxin or an infection, e.g., a toxin-mediated traveler's diarrhea, or C. difficile or the pseudo-membranous colitis associated with this infection.

Apparatus and methods are described for use with a bodily emission of a subject that is disposed within a toilet bowl. While the bodily emission is disposed within the toilet bowl, light is received from the toilet bowl using one or more light sensors. Using a computer processor, one or more spectral components within the received light that are indicative of light absorption by a component of erythrocytes are detected, by analyzing the received light. In response thereto, the computer processor determines that there is a presence of blood within the bodily emission. The computer processor generates an output on an output device, at least partially in response thereto. Other applications are also described.

A medical system includes one or more medical devices for intra-body conveyance which include a host structure that defines an interior area, one or more data gathering system, one or more means for communication, for transmitting data from the data gathering systems. The medical device is configurable into a peripheral boundary of a size adapted to fit in a lumen of a living organism. The medical system includes an external processing device configured to receive the transmitted data from the means for communication. The external processing system is configured to perform data analysis on the data received from the medical device.

Provided herein is technology relating to collecting and preparing samples. For example, the technology relates particularly, but not exclusively, to devices, systems, and kits that allow a subject to collect and prepare a sample for analysis.