Butterfly iQ is a whole-body, single probe ultrasound device designed for portability
The small device was designed to make medical imaging accessible in remote and low-resource places.
Ultrasounds are a crucial part of medical care for pregnancy and diagnosis of various medical conditions. However, 4.7 billion people around the world do not currently have access to medical imaging. The Butterfly Network set out to make medical imaging more accessible by developing a compact, affordable ultrasound device that can be used by medical staff quickly in clinics and isolated communities.
The Butterfly iQ weighs less than a pound and has an aluminium body for durability in harsh conditions. The handheld device can be used anywhere on the body and offers twenty imaging presets. For example, these include the heart, lungs, muscles and even paediatric options. There are different imaging modes. The smart AI tool can help with calculations, and the battery typically lasts around two hours with easy wireless charging.
The device connects with phones and tablets to view the images in real-time. Images can be uploaded to the secure butterfly cloud where they can be stored and shared with members of the medical team.
Their newly developed TeleGuidance platform opens up ultrasound tech further. An untrained user or beginner can be guided remotely to perform an ultrasound scan using two-way controls and augmented reality. The device is priced at $2k with various yearly membership fees depending on the needs of the medical team.
“Our mission is to democratise rise healthcare by making medical imaging accessible to everyone around the world.” — Jonathan Rothberg, Founder and CEO
