ImpediMed, a company out of Carlsbad, California, has made a name for itself in the field of bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS). The firm’s devices make it easy to accurately measure a person’s body composition and hydration without using any invasive methods and in a short amount of time. Now the firm is releasing a consumer-oriented system, the SOZO, which can provide the same readings but in a much more stylish and automatic way.
BIS sends out electric signals through the body and measures how these are attenuated by the tissues the electricity passes through. While not fundamentally new, ImpediMed’s technology is substantially more advanced than much of the competition because it does this at 256 different frequencies in the range from 3kHz to 1000 kHz. This level of detail can provide readings that can help diagnose lymphedema and other disorders that result in a fluid imbalance, as well as distinguish fat, muscle, bone, and bodily fluids.
The SOZO device is intended for a variety of applications, including clinical use, inside of high end gyms, and even at home for those athletes that want to take full advantage of BIS technology.
Besides performing the measurements, the device compares the readings to previously obtained population averages to give the user an idea of how they compare to others similar to them.
The current delivered is very mild and should not be even felt by the person undergoing the exam, which involves stepping on the device’s steps and putting hands on top of the hand rest. The electrodes on the surfaces are used to pass current between each other, providing many routes for the electricity to flow and resulting in different measurements that are compiled to create final results.
Here’s a promo video from ImpediMed introducing the SOZO system:
Product page: SOZO…
Source: ImpediMed…