In Star Trek, the handheld device that scans life signs, materials and environments is the tricorder.
A tricorder is a portable multifunctional computer and sensor unit. Its name combines “tri” with “recorder,” reflecting the original idea of a device that records and processes several kinds of information. Starfleet officers use different configurations for science, engineering and medical work.
The medical tricorder is associated with diagnosing injuries and illnesses, while the science tricorder examines geological, biological and atmospheric data. A standard tricorder can also store readings, identify objects and transmit information to a ship’s computer. Its fictional capabilities vary between series and episodes.
The device is frequently confused with the communicator, which is primarily a communications tool, or with a PADD, which is a handheld computer terminal. Real-world developers have built experimental diagnostic devices inspired by the tricorder, but none reproduces the complete fictional instrument.