Star Trek's tricorder is about to get closer to reality. Scanadu, is the startup behind the small handheld scanner. It measures a patient's vital signs like heart rate and temperature. Today, they announced a $10.5 million in funding from multiple investors.

Relay Ventures led the investment, with former Yahoo cofounder and CEO Jerry Yang, raising the investment up to $14.7 million. The money will be used to expand Scanadu's team as it seeks FDA approval for the device called Scanadu Scout, according to chief Walter De Brouwer.

The device will be able to read vital signs in seconds before transmitting the data to a patient's smartphone. It will provide patients with additional data bout their health without a trip to the doctor's. Users can also check other vital readings like oxygenation and respiratory rate.



An Indiegogo campaign confirmed the public's interest in this kind of technology. Scanadu reached its $100,000 goal in the first hour. It also raised more than $1.6 million in less than two months.




FDA approval is key to Scout's future. Doctors and patients must be able to trust the data and a seal of approval will go a long way to get that trust.

Scanadu hopes the proposal will be ready in a year and will be available to consumers shortly after for $199.