In 2013, a man bilked investors into funding a medical device that worked like the Star Trek tricorder. He even named it after the grumpy doctor who used in on the iconic show -- The "McCoy Home Health Tablet."
The man's "investment opportunity" was a scam, and according to the National Post, he was convicted for bilking people out of their money. However, just a little over a year later, a new tricorder like device, called the Scanadu Scout, has become a reality. And it works.
The device, pictured below, works by placing it on a patient's forehead. In a matter of seconds, a sensor measures vitals such as heart rate, temperature, blood pressure, and oxygen levels. It even provides a complete ECG reading.
The device came about after a successful crowdfunding campaign, and begins shipping to backers at the end of July, 2015.
The Scanadu is the invention of Walter De Brouwer, a Belgian entrepreneur, who came up with the idea after his son suffered brain damage from a fall.
De Brouwer told CNN that he got his inspiration from Star Trek, which he said was "more than just a movie, it was a business plan."
The tricorder in Star Trek was only used by a doctor, but De Brouwer says that the Scanadu can be used by anyone.
"We've medicalised [sic] your smartphone," he said.
"You can now check your health as easily as your email. People will no longer ask if there's a doctor on the plane, but if there's a Tricorder."The Scanadu is pending FDA approval, so is not available for purchase to the general public yet, but backers from the Indiegogo funding campaign have received it and are providing real world testing.
Dutch Design legend @wanderswonders @scanadu scouting his vital signs pic.twitter.com/oOwtOloeHa— Walter De Brouwer (@walterdebrouwer) February 15, 2015
Awesome! thank you for sharing:) RT@lucienengelen My first @scanadu scout reading congrats Walter Sam and team!!! pic.twitter.com/7c1yqPaP3x — Scanadu (@scanadu) January 27, 2015Never thought I'd be checking my BP, HR, SpO2 via my forehead (all verified by conventional measures) @scanadu #PWSYN pic.twitter.com/PdcDdZIIFf— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) January 25, 2015
Scanadu is also working on a complete home urine test kit called Scanaflow.Urinalysis at home is coming: Scanaflo by @scanadu http://t.co/A9ifrZSo9C #DigitalHealth #CES2015 pic.twitter.com/k3EchIjqpE #mhealth — Paul Sonnier (@Paul_Sonnier) January 8, 2015The medical tricorder isn't the only device inspired by Star Trek. This Inquisitr article featured communication devices for emergency first responders based on the Starfleet comm badge.[Photos via Bruno Vincent/Getty Images and Britt+Co]
