Star Trek Starfleet Medical Tricorder, TR-560, Starfleet R&D
date: label: date made
content: ca 1997
label: copyright date
content: 1997
name: label: maker
content: Playmates Toys, Inc.
label: maker
content: Paramount Pictures
notes: label: Description
content: This is a toy replica of a medical sensing device used on the science-fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. The battery-powered replica flips open to reveal a light up viewscreen, buttons for diagnostic sounds, and an array of indicator lights. A small handheld “medical scanner” is stored in the top of the device, and a belt clip is included on the back. Manufacturer recommended for ages four and up.
label: Description
content: The following description is from the original packaging (not included in with the museum’s object):
label: Description
content: “Starfleet Materials Depot Inventory Item: Medical Tricorder. The tricorder is a standard-issue multi-purpose scientific tool used by landing parties and other diagnostic teams. Included in its features are sensors, computers and recording devices. Tricorders can link with starship-based computer systems to file analyses or access additional data. Custom versions are available for specialized teams and individuals, such as engineering and medical uses. The medical tricorder works in combination with a handheld scanner which allows the physician or other emergency medical technician to conduct an initial examination of a patient or other subject. The efficiency of medical tricorders may be limited by the availability of data on xenobiological life forms.”
label: Description
content: Like much in science fiction, the Star Trek Tricorder has inspired technological innovation. In 2011 the XPrize Foundation and Qualcomm Foundation announced a multi-million-dollar Tricorder XPrize. Although no team met the criteria for the full prize, in 2017 the top award went to the Final Frontier Medical Devices team for their DxtER system. The system (which is still in development in 2020) uses multiple non-invasive sensors to monitor body chemistry and vital signs and analyzes this data in order to diagnose disease.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Larry J. Kricka and Peter Wilding
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2014.0247.37
label: accession number
content: 2014.0247
label: catalog number
content: 2014.0247.37
objectType: label: Object Name
content: toy, sensing device
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 13 cm x 7.5 cm x 3.9 cm; 5 1/8 in x 2 15/16 in x 1 17/32 in