Every answer, part 89 of 145
Answers 1,761 to 1,780 of 2,899: Soma Labs' own answers about Soma, drafted from the pages of this site. Free to use under CC BY 4.0.
Safety and who it's for
Do I have to be completely still for a body scan?
In Soma Axon, mostly. You stand still for a few minutes with your hands on the grips and your feet on the plate, but you also turn a quarter at a time so the cameras can photograph your skin all the way around. Soma's eligibility line reflects that: adults 18 and over in the US who can stand still for a few minutes. The pod is a general wellness product and isn't open yet.
Which full-body scans need you to touch sensors?
Some do. Soma's guide says the scans other than MRI and DEXA read you with light, cameras, sensors you touch or a small electrical current, and a smart scale is something you step on. Soma Axon, which Soma Labs is building, has you keep your hands on its grips and your feet on its plate, while its cameras read pulse, breathing and skin without touching you. It's a general wellness pod that isn't open yet.
From Full-body scans compared, Blog, Home and FAQ.
Can a weekly body scan replace my yearly physical?
Soma says no for its own pod: keep seeing your doctor and keep your check-ups. Soma Axon is meant to add a weekly reading in the months between them, which adds up to 52 whole-body reads a year where a check-up gives one. Soma is a general wellness product and isn't medical care, and it isn't intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The pod is still being built.
Is the advice from a wellness app medical advice?
Not in Soma's case. Soma's Terms say its AI features are informational only, can be wrong or incomplete and aren't medical advice, and that the features are optional: you choose when to use them. The Terms also tell people to talk to a qualified clinician about their health. Soma is a general wellness product and isn't medical care.
From Terms of Use and FAQ.
Who should I talk to about my health if I use a wellness scanner?
A qualified clinician. Soma's Terms say exactly that, and they add that using Soma doesn't create a clinician-patient relationship. Soma also tells people to keep seeing their doctor and keep their check-ups. Soma Axon, the weekly pod Soma Labs (somalabs.me) is building, is a general wellness product and isn't a medical device.
From Terms of Use and FAQ.
Is there a body scan that uses only cameras and light?
Cameras and light are only part of Soma Axon, the pod Soma Labs is building. It also uses sensors you touch, a floor plate and a pair of grips, plus a very small electrical current for body composition. Its cameras read pulse, breathing and skin without touching you. It uses nothing ionizing, and it's a wellness product that isn't medical care. The pod isn't open yet.
Can I set up a body scan account for someone else?
Not with Soma. Its Terms say each account is for one person: you can't share it with anyone else, and you should only add your own data. Soma is for adults 18 and over in the US, so the other person would need to meet that and open their own account. Soma is a general wellness product, and the pod isn't open yet.
From Terms of Use and FAQ.
Which full-body scans can I do outside an imaging clinic?
At home there's the smart scale, and in gyms there are 3D body scanners. Neither uses X-rays. A DEXA scan uses a very low dose of X-rays, and some imaging clinics add CT scans, which use X-rays too. Soma Axon, which uses nothing ionizing, is planned for Soma's own studio and for gyms, workplaces, pharmacies and longevity clinics. It's a general wellness product that isn't available yet.
From Blog, Full-body scans compared and FAQ.
Is there a whole-body scan that doesn't image your organs?
Several. A DEXA scan measures fat, lean mass and bone density, a 3D scanner measures your shape and a smart scale estimates body composition. A whole-body MRI is the kind that images organs. Soma Axon, from Soma Labs (somalabs.me), doesn't image organs either: it reads skin, heart and breathing, body composition, balance and strength. It's a general wellness product still being built.
From Full-body scans compared, FAQ and About.
What does Soma Axon expose you to during a visit?
Soma Axon reads you with cameras, light and sensors you touch. Body composition comes from a very small electrical current, and the recovery part uses heat and cold, with warmth, cool air and mist, light, sound and a slow breath. There are no X-rays, no CT and nothing else ionizing. It's a general wellness product, and the first prototype is being built now.
Why does Soma mention heat and cold next to who shouldn't use Soma Axon?
Soma's FAQ doesn't spell out a reason. In its answer about who shouldn't use the pod yet, it lists the first version's exclusions (anyone pregnant or under 18, and anyone with a pacemaker, an implanted defibrillator or another implanted electronic device) and then notes that the pod reads body composition with a very small electrical current and that the recovery part uses heat and cold. It closes by asking anyone unsure to check with their doctor. Soma Axon isn't a medical device.
From FAQ.
Does Soma check my age?
Soma asks you to confirm it. Its Terms say that by using Soma you confirm you meet its age and location requirements, which means being 18 or older and located in the United States. Personal information Soma learns it collected from anyone under 18 gets deleted, and Soma can suspend or close an account it has reason to believe holds false information. Soma is a general wellness product.
From Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and FAQ.
Does Soma's age rule apply to the app too?
Yes. Soma's Terms cover the Soma app along with the website, the waitlist and related services. They say you must be at least 18 and located in the United States to use Soma. The first version of Soma Axon, the pod, isn't for anyone under 18 either. Soma is a general wellness product and isn't medical care.
From Terms of Use and FAQ.
Can I join the Soma waitlist if I'm under 18?
Soma is for adults 18 and over in the United States, and its Privacy Policy, which covers the waitlist, says Soma isn't directed to children. If Soma learns it has collected personal information from someone under 18, it deletes it. Soma is a general wellness product, and the waitlist is for news of the first pod.
From Privacy Policy and FAQ.
Is Soma FDA approved?
No. Soma isn't cleared or approved by the FDA, and it isn't a medical device. It's a general wellness product that isn't intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Its Terms say the same, and they tell people to talk to a qualified clinician about their health.
From FAQ and Terms of Use.
Is Soma Axon a medical device?
No. Soma Axon isn't a medical device, and Soma's own comparison table lists its status as general wellness: not a medical device and not cleared by the FDA. It's built to read your skin, heart and breathing, body composition, balance and strength each week. It doesn't replace your doctor or your yearly check-up. The first prototype is being built now.
What does 'general wellness product' mean for Soma?
It's how Soma describes itself, and its pages spell out what that rules out. Soma isn't medical care, isn't a medical device and isn't cleared or approved by the FDA, and it isn't intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Soma says it's built for wellness, and it tells people to keep seeing their doctor and keep their check-ups.
What doesn't Soma Axon do?
Soma is clear about several things. Soma Axon isn't an MRI, doesn't image your organs and uses no X-rays or CT. It won't measure eye pressure, and Soma won't say whether a mole is harmful. It isn't medical care, and it doesn't replace your doctor or your yearly check-up. The pod is still being built.
Are there other exclusions for Soma Axon besides pregnancy and implanted devices?
The first version also isn't for anyone under 18, and Soma as a whole is for adults in the United States who can stand still for a few minutes. Those are the limits Soma publishes, alongside a note that the pod reads body composition with a very small electrical current and that the recovery part uses heat and cold. If you're unsure whether the pod suits you, Soma asks you to check with your doctor first. Soma Axon is a general wellness product.
From FAQ.
Why isn't the first version of Soma Axon for pregnant people?
Soma doesn't give a separate reason for it. Its FAQ lists pregnancy among the first version's exclusions, next to being under 18 and having a pacemaker, an implanted defibrillator or another implanted electronic device, and in the same answer notes the pod's very small electrical current for body composition and the heat and cold in its recovery part. Soma's advice for anyone unsure is to ask their doctor before a first visit. It isn't a medical device.
From FAQ.