Medical Tricorder

The Medical Tricorder (MT) consists of a standard tricorder, to which is added a specialized medical peripheral (MP) device. The peripheral, one of a number of dedicated auxiliary computing options available to Starfleet crews, adds many powerful sensors and analysis functions to those used by Medical personnel aboard the ship.

The MP compromises two components, the computing section and deployable high-resolution sensor. The MP works with the standard tricorder user interface to access all of the normal and added functions, in both shipboard and field operations. It measures 7.62 x 4.19 cm and masses 80 g, bring the total tricorder length to 20 cm, and mass to 378.3 grams. As with the standard tricorder, the case is constructed of gamma-strengthened polyduranide. The major components include an auxiliary sarium krellide power cell, sensor assemblies, peripheral processing block, and memory storage units. Power is not tapped from the main supply in the standard tricorder unless required, and cells in both sections can be recharged through the standard tricorder induction circuit. Total operation time is eighteen hours.

The peripheral sensors encompass 100 electromagnetic devices mounted about the internal frame, upper and side panels of the casing, and the forward section of the hand sensor receptacle. Each maintains an FOV lower limit of 1/4 degree. None are omnidirectional, but specialized for focused medical readings. The hand sensor incorporates twenty high-resolution devices for readings down to thirty seconds of arc. Active and passive scans provide detailed diagnostic readings of total body mechanical processes, organ system function, disease organism infiltration, and body electromagnetic conditions. Combined readings can synthesize images and numerical readouts to aid sickbay personnel in identifying biological antagonists and determining courses of treatment.

The MP computer capabilities are contained in the medical database comparator/analysis subsection (MDC/AS) attached to 100 sensors. The MDC/AS manages incoming data prioritizes processing tasks, routes processed data, and manages control and power systems. It is rated at 1.5 x 10^10 calculations per second. In the field the database section draws upon an updatable file of known medical conditions for most humanoid types and 220 DNA-based non-humanoids. When operating aboard ship, the MP can draw upon the entire medical database of the ship as well as the files allocated to other disciplines.

A wide selection of tomographic and micrographic scans are included in the default device settings. The function controls of the standard tricorder maybe used to configure custom scan modes for the case-mounted and hand sensors, with menu choices visible on the main display screen.