Withings always shows up at CES with a futuristic health tech device, and this year is no different. The company’s newest gadget is the $249.95 BeamO, a so-called multiendoscope that takes your temperature, takes an EKG, reads your blood oxygen levels, and acts as a stethoscope to monitor your heart and lung health.
The device itself is similar to some of Withings’ other non-contact thermometers, but contains photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors, electrodes, a digital stethoscope, and a version of the Withings Thermo’s second-generation infrared temperature sensor. You’re probably most familiar with PPG sensors like the green LED you find on most smartwatches that measures heart rate by shining light on the skin. The sides of the BeamO also contain electrodes to enable ECG readings to detect atrial fibrillation.
But what’s even more interesting is how Withings managed to stick a stethoscope into the mix. It does this by including a piezoelectric disk. The gist is that the disc picks up acoustic noise from your chest or back and then converts it into an electrical signal that can be read by the BeamO. (That’s how many electronic speakers work.) The device also has a USB-C adapter for the headphone jack so you can listen before transferring the audio to the Withings app. In telehealth sessions, you can also stream audio directly to your provider.
These are all measurements you can actually make at home. You can buy a stethoscope, infrared thermometer, pulse oximeter, and many smart watches have similar EKG functions. Many wearable devices allow you to save your data into PDF files that can be shared with doctors. The new thing here is to condense them all into one device that can be shared within the family.
Of course, there are some other factors at play as well. The ECG and atrial fibrillation (AFib) detection features will need to go through the FDA approval process. Withings says in its press release that it expects to go on sale with BeamO in June of this year, but if I had a dollar for every time a health tech company failed to reach the FDA’s initial clearance estimates, I’d be a millionaire.
Withings in particular has had great luck announcing a gadget at CES and getting FDA approval in time. It introduced its Move ECG watch at CES 2019, but that product never actually made it to the United States. At CES 2020, it introduced the ScanWatch, which also has ECG testing and sleep-related SpO2 monitoring features. However, it took nearly two years for the watch to actually go on sale in the United States. Meanwhile, the company announced the Withings Body Scan, a smart scale with EKG features, at CES 2022, but it took until August 2023 to get FDA approval. We’re still waiting for the U-Scan, the home urine analysis device that Withings introduced at CES 2023.
In any case, it’s clear that Withings has invested a lot of resources in the past few years in building out its home health platform. BeamO is just the latest entry into this ecosystem. It may take a hot moment before Withings can fully realize its telehealth vision.