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French manufacturer Withings has unveiled its latest advanced smart scale known as the Body Scan. It brings a long list of upgrades from the Body Cardio scale that was unveiled a few years ago. One of the key features of the Body Scan is its ability to offer detailed information on your body using a dedicated handle with four stainless steel electrodes.
These electrodes enable measuring segmented body composition, ECG, and nerve activity in addition to usual metrics such as BMI, weight, and other information. As Engadget notes, the Body Scan has a similar design as the predecessor with its tempered glass construction.
In terms of the sensors onboard, Withings said the Body Scan offers 14 ITO or Indium tin oxide electrodes on the platform. This is in addition to the aforementioned stainless steel electrodes on the handle. Moreover, the battery onboard the new scale can last for up to 12 months. This is despite the inclusion of the new sensors plus a larger 3.2-inch LCD panel.
The Withings Body Scan uses a 6-lead ECG to detect heart arrhythmias accurately. Both sides of the handle contain two electrodes each, while the rest are at the bottom of the scale. The company said that results generated by the scale could be read either on the display or through the Withings Health Mate app on a paired smartphone. These results can be easily read by a cardiologist, according to Withings.
You may have to wait a few months to get your hands on the Withings Body Scan in the U.S.
This scale also offers multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis or BIA that can measure metrics like visceral fat, muscle & bone mass, extracellular & intracellular water, plus whole-body fat & water percentage. Additionally, customers can get additional information on their arms, legs, and torso. This, the company claims, allows users to get readings for muscle or fat imbalance just like modern-day athletes.
Withings teamed up with fellow French company, Impeto Medical, to track nerve activity on the new scale. The Body Scan achieves this with the help of a small direct current from the onboard electrodes, which assists in the tracking of sweat gland activity on your feet (sudomotor function). Using this could help identify degeneration of the small nerve fibers before it’s too late.
All of this could set you back by $299.99, though it hasn’t officially made its way to the U.S. yet. The Body Scan is yet to receive FDA approval. So it could be a while before it reaches Stateside. As per current estimates, the Body Scan could be widely available by the second half of 2022.
