A general practitioner (GP) or local doctor is usually the first person to go to if someone has a health problem. However, for various reasons, most patients find it increasingly difficult to get an appointment with a GP or see their own family doctors.
Transformative Multiscope Device
Families can finally carry out a doctor's check-up in the comfort of their homes. On January 9, consumer electronics company Withings unveiled BeamO, a health checkup device that can measure core health vitals. The smart health device pioneer is based in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France and is expected to show the technology off at the big tech trade show CES 2024 from January 10 to 12.
BeamO works by performing four health checks in less than a minute. It uses the capabilities of a stethoscope, oximeter, electrocardiogram, and thermometer in an at-home checkup device. By simply gripping the device, the user can measure their heart rate, body temperature, cardiac sounds, blood oxygen levels, and respiratory sounds. It also detects desaturation, lung wheezing, heart murmurs, and atrial fibrillation.
The multiscope was developed by experts to allow more tests at home and talk to doctors in remote calls, advancing the efficiency of telemedicine. Since temperature is the only health scan regularly performed at home, Withings hopes to position BeamO as the new thermometer of the future in every home, observing heart and lung health simultaneously.
The core vitals provided by BeamO can inform the user about the warning signs of potential areas of concern. Instead of measuring these statistics a couple of times a year in a clinical setting, it is now possible to assess them daily.
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How Does BeamO Work?
This handheld checkup device has sensors that beam light waves to measure health vitals. The photoplethysmography (PPG) and electrodes along its side allow BeamO to perform blood oxygenation and heart rate readings while conducting a medical-grade-1-lead ECG.
Using noninvasive scans of the temporal artery, the device can conduct stable and accurate core body temperature readings. Meanwhile, it captures chest or back acoustic sound waves through a Piezoelectric disc. The results can be heard through headphones with the help of a USB-C to-jack adapter, and they can also be transferred, stored, and shared seamlessly in the app. This enables physicians to guide device placement and focus on specific areas of interest during telehealth sessions.
In addition, the Withings App enables users to upload details of any medications they take, set alerts and reminders, and log usage and side effects, which can be shared with doctors for dosage and effectiveness management. The device works for up to 8 users, and the data can be easily shared with the doctor.
As the user syncs the heart, lung, and temperature data to the Withings app, they can also connect BeamO with Apple Health for a seamless experience with the iPhone. This innovative device is expected to become available in the US in June 2024 following FDA clearance of its ECG capability.
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