The brilliant invention that turns any mobile phone into a machine to perform medical examinations at home and in a few seconds

In the world of mobile telephony, it is often said, because it is true, that Smartphones are among the most technologically advanced productsespecially due to the miniaturization of its components. Including all this technology in such a small space is not easy, but it has made smartphones the most used smart devices in Europe and the rest of the world. And little by little, they are replacing dozens of other devices, electronic or analog, that we use in our daily lives.

But there is another field that equals, if not surpasses, that of consumer electronics. We refer to the medical technologywhich is responsible for having machines that literally save the lives of millions of people every year. Miniaturization is not always relevant there, but in some cases it is, especially because of the ease of use and availability it implies.

The health technology company Withings, Best known for its smart scales and smartwatches, it has introduced a new device that is much more closely related to detecting medical problems. It is the Beam 0, a device that allows medical examinations to be carried out without having to go to the hospital or a consultation.

This device It was designed so that everyone can use it at homeobtaining various values, or to use in teleconsultation, by video call or by phone, while talking with the corresponding doctor. The Beam 0 has several sensors capable of performing medical tests and connects to the smartphone to display the results and their history. However, it has a screen on which you can see various icons and a control button.

On the one hand we have the oximeter, able to measure blood oxygen saturation, which can show all sorts of problems if the values ​​are not adequate. This is a function found in many smartwatches, but in this case it is much more accurate.

It also has a stethoscope digital, capable of detecting problematic patterns in patients’ respiratory systems. Another sensor means this device can be used as a electrocardiogram of a shunt, capable of detecting heart failures that could cause problems in the future.

Finally, it includes a contactless temperature sensor, similar to the one we have in many homes with the thermometers digital but more precise than those that some mobile phones are starting to integrate. Use non-invasive infrared scanning of the temporal artery. There are accessories that allow cell phones to become digital thermometers, but sometimes they are not as accurate either. Beam O uses light wave sensors and sound information for detect blood flow and temperature patterns. The results will be displayed on the device screen and in the app.

All this information is linked to a mobile phone via an application capable of keeping track of data. For example, if a child has a fever, the temperature echolution is observed over time, to check if it drops or rises and how quickly. And it is possible to create PDF reports to be able to consult them, save them and even share them.

Withings also worked so that doctors can access patient data remotely to have all the necessary information before making any diagnosis. For example, with Cardiological assessmentYou can send the ECG and all health data from Withings to a cardiologist for a medical examination and receive the results within 24 hours. This is one of the services included in the paid subscription. Four heart checks are included with an annual subscription, and with a monthly subscription, one of these checks can be performed every 90 days.

Another example is HealthLink, with which you can generate a link to a platform dedicated to your health datato share them with your doctor. This allows the doctor to view the complete health history and real-time measurements before or during the consultation. In addition, a patient can record their results and download them using the USB-C port which also serves to charge the device, or you can send the audio to your doctor.

Of course, all this data is secured so that it is not possible to obtain it without the patient’s consent. In addition, The Withings app is compatible with Google Fit and Apple Healthin case we want to see the values ​​obtained with Beam 0 in our mobile applications, where we can also have other parameters from smartwatches and other devices.

This device was announced at CES in Las Vegas in 2024and its marketing should begin during the rest of the year, although regulatory approvals from US entities are pending, so there could be delays. Of course, for now there is no confirmation of price or availability. It is possible that it will reach Europe in a first wave, but this is not confirmed. The Withings+ paid subscription costs around 10 dollars per monthalthough if you pay annually you can get a 20% discount, which is a saving of two months per year, for around 100 dollars per year.