This is the first time the term tricorder has been used to reference any scanning devices used by the crew. Phlox mentions that Sim took apart his medical tricorder out of curiosity. Until now, the devices had been referred to as "scanners."
This is listed as one of the "Ten Essential Episodes" of Star Trek: Enterprise (2001) in the 2008 reference book "Star Trek 101" by Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdmann.
Writer Manny Coto stated in an interview that this was inspired by a short story written by Ray Bradbury called Frost and Fire, which dealt with the theme of somebody who lives a lifetime in a very short span.
This episode was directed by LeVar Burton, who played Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987).