Aside from a brief on-again-off-again thing with Nokia, Withings has been quietly establishing itself as a home health powerhouse in recent years. The French company might not have the big-name pull of an Apple or Samsung, but it has been making some expertly crafted devices designed to make vital readings accessible outside the doctor’s office.
While the name suggests an ’80s toy manufacturer, BeamO looks to be one of the company’s more compelling healthcare offerings. It’s not a fitness watch or a sleep tracking pad, but rather a new category for Withings. The “multiscope,” as the company has deemed it, is designed to give patients easy access to vitals during teleconference health calls.
From that perspective, the product makes a lot of sense. According to the U.S. government, telehealth visits (understandably) skyrocketed 15x during the pandemic. While that number has no doubt regressed somewhat as the world has reopened, the relative ease and timeline versus an in-office visit for non-emergencies can’t really be debated.
“Smaller than a smartphone” per Withings’ description, the system offers four key health metrics. It’s kind of a supercharged digital thermometer that also serves as an electrocardiogram, oximeter and stethoscope, giving your healthcare provider more insight into what’s going on with you in real time.
“Post-pandemic telemedicine is commonplace,” notes CEO Eric Carrell. “While convenient and cost-effective, remote visits lacked the ability for health professionals to carry out the routine checks they perform in person. BeamO will make this possible remotely with a device that combines the functionality of four different pieces of medical equipment.”
The system is capable of reading SpO2, heart rate and ECG (“medical grade” says Withings) at once, displaying pertinent info on its display. Headphones can be connected to the system using a USB-C to audio jack adapter. That audio can also be sent to the healthcare provider via an app.
The system is still awaiting FDA clearance for things like AFib detection. Withings anticipates it will arrive on shelves this July for $250.
