The Bioscan Unit, a type of bioscanner, was initially created for the medical field. It gave doctors the ability to quickly diagnose patient injuries and illnesses. The Rhinnal State Medical Academy developed it along with Athakam Medtech. After its release, the unit also became useful in espionage and was employed in this way by the Alliance to Restore the Republic.
The Bioscan Unit was made up of a thin broad-spectrum sensor suite that could be attached to an examination table, as well as an analysis computer that was small enough to fit inside a briefcase. A full-range scanner, vapro-sampler, doppraymagno scanner, and medtox detector were all included in the suite. A thorough and complete scan could be finished in less than two seconds. It would list everything from the patient's species, sex, and weight to their body temperature, muscle-tone index, and respiration rate. This data would be shown on the analysis computer's flatscreen or holographic projector. The data could then be saved as a permanent record for later comparison.
The bioscan's library of over eighty-six thousand alien species would be used to compare the scanned data, noting any anomalies in metabolic, chemical, and hormonal levels, as well as any diseases or viral infections that were found. The library could also recognize three thousand different kinds of droids, and users could add entries for newly discovered species. Standard dataports in the computer made it possible to transfer data between the bioscan computer and other computers, droids, and datapads. An internal battery allowed for a year's worth of use before needing to be recharged.
The Athakam/RSMA unit's detailed scans also made it a useful tool for covert agencies in espionage. If necessary, operatives could have their identities verified at the genetic level. Additionally, anything from cybernetics, weapons, and energy cells to communication transmissions, encoded chips, and datadots as small as one millimeter in diameter would be detected. The system had only two limitations: the suite had to be firmly secured to prevent vibrations from interfering with the sensor readings, and the six-centimeter-wide scanning surface had to be within forty centimeters of the subject. Otherwise, the unit could be easily hidden in ceiling panels, under deck platings, or next to a door frame.
Princess Leia Organa made use of an Athakam/RSMA bioscan unit during her meeting with Guri, the enigmatic Black Sun operative, on Rodia. Although she seemed normal on the outside, the bioscan showed that she was actually a Human-replica droid.