Tricorder

In the fictional Star Trek universe, a tricorder is a handheld device used for scanning an area, interpreting and displaying data from scans to the user, and recording information.

Three primary variants of the tricorder were issued in Star Trek's Starfleet. The standard tricorder is a general-purpose device used primarily to scout unfamiliar areas. The medical tricorder is used by doctors to help diagnose diseases and collect bodily information about a patient; the key difference between this and a standard tricorder is a detachable hand-held high-resolution sensor array stored in a compartment on the front of the tricorder when not in use, making it slightly bigger than a standard tricorder. The engineering tricorder is fine-tuned for starship engineering purposes. There are also many other lesser-used varieties of special use tricorders.

According to Dr. Julian Bashir (from ""), while medical tricorders are very good at scanning living people, they are not very good at scanning dead ones. Evidently this is the first lesson taught at Starfleet medical school.

Different types of tricorders

The tricorder of the 23rd century was a heavy, black, rectangular device with a small screen and a shoulder strap. The medical variants of this model had the detachable scanner stored in the bottom of it when not in use as opposed to the front, giving this model the same overall profile regardless of its intended use. The 24th century unit is a small, gray, square model with a flip-out panel to allow for a larger screen. This design was further refined later on with a slightly more angular appearance that was seen on most of the "TNG"-era movies as well as later seasons of ' and '.

In the post-"Next Generation" era ("Star Trek Nemesis" and ""), a newer tricorder was introduced. It is flatter, and looks more like a modern-day PDA with a small flap that opens on top and a large touch screen interface.

List of tricorders

* 2260s
** Large, strap-carried tricorder
* 2270s
** Smaller, flip-out tricorder
* 2280s
** Type A: heavy-duty tricorder, with carrying handle
** Type B: smaller than Type A, looking like the 2260 models, but slightly smaller
* 2360s
** TR-560 Tricorder VI
** TR-580 Tricorder VII
* 2370s
** TR-590 Tricorder X
* 2379
** Slim, PADD-like tricorder, with touch-screen interface

The tricorder prop for the was designed and built by Wah Ming Chang, one of several futuristic props he created under his contract. Some of his designs are considered to have been influential on later, real-world consumer electronics devices.Who|date=December 2007 (See also: Martin Cooper and the Star Trek communicator.)

"Real" tricorders

Software exists to make hand-held devices simulate a tricorder. Examples include Jeff Jetton's Tricorder - 2.0 for the PalmPilot and the "genuine Tricorder from Elegant Solutions" for the Pocket PC, iPhone, and iPod Touch Web application. There is considerable interest in developing real portable analysers which could behave like a tricorder.

Vital Technologies Corporation sold a portable device dubbed the "Official Star-Trek Tricorder Mark 1" (formally, the TR-107 Tricorder Mark 1) in 1996. Its features were an "Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Meter", "Two-Mode Weather Station", (thermometer and barometer), "Colorimeter" (no wavelength given), "Light Meter", and "Stardate Clock and Timer" (a clock and timer). Spokespersons claimed the device was a "serious scientific instrument". [ [http://www.stim.com/Stim-x/0996September/Sparky/tricorder.html Real Tricorders] ] Vital Technologies sold 10,000 units before going out of business. The company was permitted to call this device a "tricorder" because Gene Roddenberry's contract included a clause allowing any company able to create functioning technology to use the name.

In February, 2007, researchers from Purdue University publicly announced their portable (briefcase-sized) DESI-based mass spectrometer, the "Mini-10", [ [http://www.purdue.edu/UNS/html4ever/2006/060316.Cooks.desi06.html Purdue chemical-analysis method promises fast results ] ] which can be used to analyze compounds in ambient conditions without prior sample preparation. This was also announced as a "tricorder". [ [http://www.gearlive.com/news/article/purdue-scientists-create-portable-tricorder-03091253/ Purdue Scientists Create Portable Tricorder | Gear Live ] ]

Sandia National Labs in the U.S. is a major center for lab-on-a-chip research, and have developed many handheld instruments for biological or chemical analysis. [ [http://www.sandia.gov/news/resources/releases/2007/saliva.html Sandia handheld instrument assesses dental disease in minutes - March 29, 2007 ] ]

In May 2008, researchers from Georgia Tech publicly announced [ [http://www.gatech.edu/newsroom/release.html?id=1886 Georgia Tech - New Technology Puts biomedical Imaging in Palm of Hands] ] their portable hand-held multi-spectral imaging device, which aids in the detection of the severity of an injury under the skin, including the presence of pressure ulcers, regardless of lighting conditions or skin pigmentation. The day after the announcement, technology websites including Inside Tech [ [http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=12322 "New 'miracle diagnosis' handheld medical scanner 800 times more sensitive than full-size scanners"] , "DailyTech", July 10, 2008] and The Future of Things [ [http://www.tfot.info/news/1202/science-fiction-saving-lives.html Science Fiction Saving Lives - TFOT ] ] began comparing this device to the Star Trek tricorder.

See also

* LCARS

References

External links

* [http://news.com.com/2300-11395_3-6121389-6.html?tag=ne.gall.pg Life imitates 'Star Trek']
* [http://uwnews.washington.edu/ni/article.asp?articleID=36364 Star Trek medical device uses ultrasound to seal punctured lungs]