Introducing the Withings BeamO: A Multi-Functional Device Combining Thermometer, ECG, and Stethoscope
At CES 2024, Withings is once again making waves in the health-tech industry with its latest innovation, the BeamO. This all-in-one diagnostic tool builds upon the success of its contact-free thermometer and offers a range of features. Priced at $250, the BeamO, also known as a “multiscope,” can not only determine your body temperature but also measure blood oxygenation, conduct a one-lead ECG, and function as a digital stethoscope. By placing it on your chest, you can listen to the sounds produced by your chest or share the file with your doctor for further examination.
In the hand, the candybar-shaped BeamO is almost alarmingly light, but even if the medical technology feels heavy, it really doesn’t have to be. You can scroll through its features with the joystick controller, allowing you to choose between ECG / SpO2, Stethoscope or wireless temperature sensor. Despite the stand-alone display, you’ll need to use a companion app to guide you to use the stethoscope, as it’s difficult to provide this guidance while holding it to your chest. You also don’t have to worry about battery life, as the company says the BeamO can last for months at a time on a single charge.
As much as Withings markets its products to the concerned wellness crowd, the company says this could have a real impact on the telemedicine space. After all, these kinds of basic tests are what you’ll encounter most of the time when you visit a doctor, but they’re not so easy to do online. (Especially given the dangers of self-reporting, a professional’s ability to hear what’s going on in the chest cavity seems key.) The company adds that, after the FDA’s usual long delay, BeamO can also detect the atrium. fibrillation.
The Health Mate is also getting a pretty muscular overhaul that helps bolster the BeamO’s feature set. Now up to eight users can track their medication intake and even record the symptoms that prompt them to read. This information can then be exported to anyone you want to share it with, including sharing the live audio of the stethoscope.
After winning its numerous endorsements, it will be interesting to see if BeamO – silly name aside – finds value among telehealth professionals. Certainly, along with the class-leading Health Mate app, it offers users an easy way to view all of this information. We’ll just have to see if this helps doctors feel the same, or if they roll their eyes and stick with what they know. If nothing else, this is one way to help reduce the amount of health equipment you need in your home. But we will put this thing through quickly when the device starts shipping in June.
We report live from the CES 2024 event in Las Vegas from the 6th to the 12th. January. Stay up to date with all the latest news from the show here.
