'Star Trek' tricorder becomes the real McCoy

You'll soon be able to embrace your inner Bones McCoy. Decades after "Star Trek" made the small device that could scan for vital signs famous, the medical tricorder is ready for prime time.

The small handheld medical reader used by Dr. Leonard McCoy in "Star Trek" has been replaced by a smartphone. The real-life tricorder is a sleek, square device called a Scanadu Scout that works with your phone.

The Scanadu can read your vitals in 10 seconds, measuring heart rate, temperature, respiratory rate, blood pleasure, ECG, and emotional stress. You hold it to your forehead and the information is wirelessly transmitted to your smartphone. It works on iOS and Android devices.

Founder and CEO Walter De Brouwer explained the Scanadu Scout is not just for doctors. He's looking to enable patients with an informative, easy-to-use device so they can play a larger role in the healing process.

"People need something cool, that they immediately understand and that they can have a relationship with their doctor." De Brouwer joked, "We don't want to make something just for retired engineers with a chronic disease."

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