A high-tech toilet developed by three Japanese companies can monitor the vitalhealth signs of its user.

The "intelligent toilet" automatically releases a piece of litmus paperinto the toilet bowl when it's being used.Within three minutes, optical sensors analyze the urine and reveal thelevel of sugar, protein and other substances that may signal disease. Theresults are displayed on a screen near the toilet.

The user can measure blood pressure and pulse by inserting a fingerinto a blood pressure device built into one side of the toilet. Theinformation also is displayed on the screen.

The project, begun in 1986, was aimed at creating a product that wouldenable people "to monitor their health in their own homes," said Kazuo Mogi, aspokesman for Omron Tateisi Electronics Co., which developed the toilet alongwith Toto, Ltd., and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.

"It is our dream that someday people's homes will be linked viacommunications lines to a health center" that could monitor the changes in thevital signs read by the toilet, he said.

The toilet's price has not yet been set.

The toilet allows users to have their vital data memorized by a creditcard-sized computer card each time they use the toilet. This allows users tokeep a running tab on their health.

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