I listened to my heart and lungs with the ‘thermometer of the future’

A thermometer is a medicine cabinet staple, and its job is simple: measure body temperature. But will its simplicity stand the test of time? Health tech company Withings has given the humble thermometer an overhaul BeamO. Dubbed the “thermometer of the future,” BeamO is a stethoscope, electrocardiogram (ECG), and thermometer all in one device.

I reported on the BeamO’s launch and FDA approval last November, and since then, Withings has sent me the device so I can do my own testing. Over the past several weeks of trying out BeamO and the Withings connected app, it’s become clear to me what the company believes the future of healthcare will look like.

The BeamO’s one-button design makes it surprisingly easy to use

Similar to a traditional thermometer, the BeamO portable device is incredibly easy to use, despite its multiple functions. It has a single button, four-way scrolling and an LED display. The non-contact thermometer is on the top, the digital stethoscope is on the bottom, and the ECG electrodes and SpO2 (pulse oximeter) sensor are on the right. The SpO2 device for measuring blood oxygen levels is not available in the United States.

On the left side of the device is a USB-C port for charging and connectivity Headphones. The BeamO has up to 8 months of battery life and a 1-hour charging time.

Once you turn it on, you’ll see your name at the top, the option to use BeamO as a guest, Settings (for device information, reset and update) and the option to turn off the device. When you click on your name or “guest,” you’ll have the option to take an EKG, take your temperature, or use a stethoscope to listen to your heart and lungs.

BeamO works with both iOS and Android and syncs data with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth – although Wi-Fi is recommended.

Stethoscope recordings are fun, but a doctor is needed for analysis

With the stethoscope feature, you can record your heart in four positions on the chest, your lungs in eight positions on the chest and back and “broad,” which captures heart and respiratory sounds in one position in the middle of your chest. The company recommends using the hearing aid in a quiet room while sitting with your hands supported, and placing it directly on bare skin or over only one thin layer of clothing. It is also recommended to hold your breath for a short period while recording your heart sounds. Since lung recordings are also taken on your back, you will need someone to help.

Once you select the organ you want to record, a body diagram appears to help you choose the exact position, identifying each point as you go. Each recording takes 15 seconds and ends with two vibrations to let you know the recording is complete. You can stop at any time. If you have a USB-C headphone adapter, you can listen to the sounds while recording. However, I didn’t have one, so I was only able to listen after uploading the results to the Withings app.

The only problem I had with the stethoscope was that it kept warning me that my environment was “too noisy,” even when I was in the quietest room in my house. I’m not sure how this will affect the recording, because I will need a doctor to review it.

Because the doctor would need to interpret the recordings, I could not judge their accuracy for myself. However, the application does mention what registrations should look like in each area. For example, for the lower left part of the lungs, it is “louder and more hollow, like a tube, and is heard with each breath,” while the upper left part “sounds soft, like a gentle rustling.” I noticed these differences, and it was great to hear these sounds for myself, but again, I would need a doctor to confirm their accuracy and point out any abnormalities.

You can send your EKG for review by a cardiologist

When you click on the ECG, BeamO displays a teaching image and prompts you to place your fingers on the device’s two electrodes. Next, it records your heart’s electrical activity with a medical-grade electrocardiogram (ECG) machine for 30 seconds. In Europe only, this feature can be used to detect atrial fibrillation or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia).

If you live in the US, you’ll need to unlock this feature by having your first ECG reviewed by a board-certified cardiologist, which is free and automatic in the Withings app, and takes just 24 to 48 hours. I appreciated that I didn’t have to visit my own doctor or deal with health insurance just to activate this feature.

Heart scan is a unique feature

With a Withings Plus subscription, you can send your ECG to a board-certified cardiologist for review within 24 hours. According to Withings, they can detect more than 10 signs of an irregular heartbeat. The three main results are green for normal sinus rhythm, yellow for bradycardia (slow heart rate) or tachycardia (fast heart rate) and red for AFib (atrial fibrillation), which is an irregular heartbeat.

You can get a free heart check four times a year with an annual subscription ($100 a year) or once a quarter with a monthly subscription ($10 a month). There’s also one heart scan available during your one-month Withings Plus free trial, in case you want to test it out before committing.

I had a hard time finding how to access the scan in the app, but a quick search showed up These instructions. When I tapped on my ECG in the Withings app, I found a heart scan option, agreed to share the data with the doctor, and sent it off.

I got my evaluation within six hours (much faster than I expected), and the doctor concluded that my sinus rhythm was normal, indicating a regular heartbeat. Below, information has been provided about what normal sinus rhythm is and what it means for my health and its signs. At the bottom there was a disclaimer reminding me that this was for self-monitoring purposes only, not a medical diagnosis and that I should see my doctor if I had any concerns.

I appreciate having a doctor confirm that I used this feature correctly and evaluate it for any abnormalities, which I can then bring to my doctor for an actual diagnosis. However, as a person with Health anxietyI’ll admit, I would have been scared to get abnormal results, so this is something you need to be prepared for and prepared to address with this type of home test.

The thermometer can be improved by using adult profiles

Going back to basics, the thermometer reminds me of other devices I’ve used. It measures your temperature without contact when you slowly move the device from the middle of your forehead to the top of your ear. Next, BeamO displays your temperature with a color code: green for normal, yellow for high, and red for high.

However, normal, high and extreme temperatures can vary depending on age, which is why the BeamO product guide includes a reference chart. For babies under 3 months, it is also recommended to take three measurements and use the highest result.

For children under 16, you can add their user profile to your Withings account. You can do this for up to seven users under this age. However, with BeamO specifically, I want to add adult profiles. I share my house with my partner, and we use the same thermometer, so it would be helpful to keep the BeamO measurements separate in the app.

Within the app, you can also use a trial version of the AI-powered Withings Intelligence. I asked him if he noticed anything abnormal with my results, but I didn’t expect an answer since the doctor has to review the ECG and stethoscope recordings. As expected, I only mentioned that I had a high temperature one day (this was actually a measurement I made for my partner), and then was asked to share any symptoms I felt.

Sharing your health data is built into the app

For all the measurements you take with BeamO, you can share them with your doctor in two ways: as a PDF or via a HealthLink report, which is available for seven days and can be deleted at any time. You can also choose to share individual results or the full health report for a specific time frame. Adults can also choose to share certain data with a relative.

This can all be done by tapping on each individual measurement in the Home tab or in the Share tab in the app, where you can set up the child’s profile. Under the last tab, you can also choose to connect to the following apps: Apple Health, Strava, MyFitnessPal, and Fitbit.

When you sign in to the Withings app, where your results are displayed, you must consent to this Withings Privacy Policy and conditions. You must also consent to sharing your data when a cardiologist from Withings partner Heartbeat Health, the premier virtual cardiology company, reviews your EKG. However, you can revoke your consent and data sharing at any time.

My final verdict: What does the future of BeamO look like?

After several weeks with BeamO, it’s become clear that the makers of this “thermometer of the future” envision a world where at-home health tracking and telehealth are essential.

Aside from the heart scan feature, which requires a cardiologist and a thermometer, you can’t decipher heart and lung recordings with the stethoscope as a layperson. These require the doctor’s expertise. During your telehealth consultation, your doctor can also help you know where to place the BeamO for the best recordings.

Since BeamO is not intended for use in medical diagnosis or treatment alone, it stands to reason that it would be ideal for a consumer who often uses telehealth. I can see BeamO being useful for someone with a disability, an individual with a contagious disease who needs to quarantine or someone who doesn’t have reliable transportation or money for in-person doctor appointments. The device could also be useful for someone with heart or lung problems who would benefit from tracking their heart and lungs at home for later analysis by a doctor.

BeamO isn’t cheap at $250, and to access Withings Plus for heart screening, it costs $10 a month or $100 a year. What’s useful is that it’s FSA/HSA eligible, includes a free one-month trial of Withings Plus, and has a 30-day trial and a two-year warranty.

If you’re a dedicated telehealth user, your doctor wants you to record your heart or lungs at home or you use other Withings products and want a complete health picture on the app, BeamO may be worth the price. Otherwise, if you’re simply looking for a basic thermometer, you’re better off using a less expensive device.

Overall, I think the BeamO is a great device that opens up the possibilities of what a regular thermometer can do. It is also on trend with Fitness trackers And others Health technology devices It aims to arm consumers with real-time knowledge about how every part of the body works.