A life-form analyzer was a transportable sensor unit, able to be wielded by a person, or connected into the computer networks of spacecraft or ground vehicles. These devices gathered data and then supplied information concerning the makeup and characteristics of living organisms in their vicinity. Through the use of sensor readings, computer programming, and life form indicators, life-form analyzers were capable of figuring out what kind of life-form was present. However, they were unable to recognize life forms that were previously unknown. To ascertain the identity of a life form, life-form analyzers employed many different elements, such as heat emissions, the surrounding atmosphere, heart rate, respiratory waste, and EM polarization effects of molecule-chains.
The Agonizer-6 nerve disruptor made use of a life-form analyzer to keep track of a torture victim's essential functions, like nerve activity, breathing, and heart rate.