Connected health tech company Withings revealed its new Body Scan smart scale, touting features that can monitor segmented body composition, nerve activity and cardiovascular health.

The company said the scale, which includes a tempered glass platform and a retractable handle, will use a low-level electrical signal to measure body composition, including the composition of individual body parts like the torso, arms and legs.

It will also use a small direct current to measure sweat gland activity, to offer insight into impaired sudomotor function that could be a sign of nerve damage. The Body Scan will also track cardiovascular data, including heart rate and ECG recordings.

Withings plans to release the device in the second half of 2022, pending CE mark and FDA approvals. It will retail for $300.

WHY IT MATTERS

The company is pitching the smart scale as a way for users to track their health daily in their homes, particularly those who are keeping an eye on cardiovascular health or monitoring for potential nerve damage from diabetes. 

“Withings created the connected health category back in 2009 and today is proud to be the number one selling smart scale manufacturer in the United States, helping millions of users manage their weight,” Mathieu Letombe, Withings CEO, said in a statement.

“With Body Scan, we will turn the morning weigh-in into a sophisticated home health check with access to holistic health data and personal health programs created by medical professionals. We will empower our users with the ability to take meaningful actions based on medical-grade data, adding a new dimension to ongoing lifestyle and chronic-condition management through the ultimate in-home health experience.”

THE LARGER TREND

In May last year, Withings announced an update to its Body Cardio smart scale, allowing it detect vascular age. The feature will be included in the Body Scan.

Outside of its smart-scale products, last year the company also launched a cardiac-monitoring smartwatch that aimed to differentiate itself from other players in the crowded wearable market with a “luxury” look. 

It also received an FDA green light for its ScanWatch’s ECG and SpO2 monitoring features in October. 

Products and services for people with chronic conditions, like heart disease or diabetes, are a growing space in digital health. Late last year, remote monitoring platform and virtual care platform Cadence scooped up $100 million in Series B financing, with a focus on the chronic-condition-management market.

Other companies in the area include Omada, Lark Health and Onduo.