Butterfly Network announced the commercial launch of its third-generation handheld point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) system, Butterfly iQ3 in Europe. Butterfly iQ3 is powered by the company’s latest semiconductor chip, enabling improved image quality and new advanced 3D capabilities: iQ Slice and iQ Fan.
Butterfly iQ3 is CE marked, certified under European Union Medical Device Regulation (EU MDR), and it is fully compliant with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive without relying on the lead exemption that traditional piezoelectric crystal-based ultrasound devices require due to hazardous levels of lead in their transducers.
Butterfly iQ3 brings high-resolution image quality with twice the processing power compared to Butterfly iQ+ and a novel “no focus” rubber lens, enabling providers to more easily identify anatomy, observe small structures, and ultimately make more confident diagnostic decisions.
Launching on Butterfly iQ3 are two new advanced 3D imaging capabilities designed to make image capturing easier: iQ Slice and iQ Fan. These tools join Butterfly’s existing feature list of more than 20 anatomical presets, six imaging modes (B-Mode, M-Mode, Color Doppler, Power Doppler, Pulsed-Wave Doppler, and Biplane Imaging™), and a collection of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced imaging tools (e.g., Auto Bladder Volume Capture, Auto B-Line Counter, NeedleViz, and a rich set of Calculation tools).
- Butterfly iQ Slice: An automated sequential ultrasound capture mode on a handheld device, made possible by Butterfly’s proprietary Ultrasound-on-Chip technology. iQ Slice automatically steers the beam to scan an organ and capture up to 46 ultrasound slices at a time across a wide angle. The imaging mode is designed to make it easier and faster to acquire excellent images without skilled maneuvering. These files can either be immediately read and measured at the bedside by skilled scanners or, for those less experienced, can be sent to a specialist for further review—similar to the workflow of a CT or MRI.
- Butterfly iQ Fan: A dedicated lung tool that further builds on the core iQ Slice technology to allow providers to benefit from real-time back-and-forth virtual fanning, making it easier to visualize A-lines and other lung pathology. With iQ Fan, the user leverages Butterfly’s beam steering capabilities to reduce the movements necessary to capture information and make informed clinical decisions.
