Butterfly Network Joins Research Project Studying the Impact of AI-Assisted POCUS on Early Tuberculosis Detection in Sub-Saharan Africa
A new artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm will be trialed, designed to give frontline healthcare workers assistance in using Butterfly ultrasound probes to detect deadly lung disease.
The initial trial opens in September for patients in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Butterfly Network, Inc. ("Butterfly", "the Company") (NYSE:BFLY), a digital health company transforming care with handheld, whole-body ultrasound, today announced its role in the international research study CAD LUS4TB that will evaluate the impact of AI-assisted point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) on tuberculosis (TB) triage in under-resourced settings.
For patients in regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with no access to ultrasound in primary care, there is a critical need for accessible diagnostic tools. WHO data suggests that 2.5 million people fell ill with TB in Africa in 2022, accounting for a quarter of new TB cases worldwide, and over 33% of TB deaths occurred in the African region.
Butterfly is part of the CAD LUS4TB consortium alongside 10 research institutions in Africa and Europe. The consortium is trialing a new AI algorithm, using Butterfly's software development platform. The program automates image classification for TB from images obtained using Butterfly's portable ultrasound devices. AI-aided POCUS will be used to help frontline healthcare workers quickly and more accurately detect TB at point of care in an initial trial in the SSA region. The European Union's Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertakings has provided €10 million in funding for this work.
The trial initiates in September and will involve 3,000 adult patients across SSA. Patients will be treated by non-radiologist healthcare workers supported by AI-led POCUS to identify likely TB indicators. This approach empowers healthcare workers to assess patients for TB without needing extensive ultrasound training or access to lab testing.
"Butterfly is proud to continue improving global health equity through our role in this project. Patients in lower-resource settings need easier access to diagnostic imaging to detect and treat deadly diseases such as TB before it claims more lives," said Dr. Sachita Shah, VP of Global Health, Butterfly Network. "We believe that this study has the capacity to demonstrate that faster, safer, more accessible triage with AI-enabled POCUS can drastically reduce morbidity and mortality from TB and other lung diseases in low- and middle-income countries."
The CAD LUS4TB initiative also seeks to generate an evidence-driven policy that supports AI-aided lung ultrasound in TB management, with the long-term goal of the technology's incorporation into national healthcare policies and systems.
Powered by the company's Ultrasound-on-Chip™ technology, Butterfly delivers sharp image quality and powerful AI capabilities in a single handheld probe. Butterfly's portable hardware, coupled with the company's partner platform for software development, uniquely positions Butterfly POCUS as a suitable vehicle for deploying new, innovative AI algorithms to diagnose leading causes of global mortality, including TB.
The study is the latest innovation in Butterfly's ongoing commitment to improving access to ultrasound for healthcare professionals and patients globally, particularly in underserved areas. Butterfly previously supported the TrUST study, an international prospective trial which developed AI algorithms for diagnosis of TB using Butterfly. Butterfly's Global Health Program works with hundreds of non-profit and humanitarian organizations in over 115 countries to provide sustainable and equitable digital health solutions to the world's most vulnerable populations.
About Butterfly Network
Butterfly Network, Inc. (NYSE:BFLY) is a healthcare company driving a digital revolution in medical imaging with its proprietary Ultrasound-on-Chip™ semiconductor technology and ultrasound software solutions. In 2018, Butterfly launched the world's first handheld, single-probe, whole-body ultrasound system, Butterfly iQ. The iQ+ followed in 2020, and the iQ3 in 2024, each with improved processing power and performance by leveraging Moore's Law. The iQ3 earned Best Medical Technology at the 2024 Prix Galien USA Awards, a prestigious honor and one of the highest accolades in healthcare. Butterfly's innovations have also been recognized by Fierce 50, TIME's Best Inventions and Fast Company's World Changing Ideas, among other achievements.
Butterfly combines advanced hardware, intelligent software, AI, services, and education to drive adoption of affordable, accessible imaging. Clinical publications demonstrate that its handheld ultrasound probes paired with Compass™ enterprise workflow software, can help hospital systems improve care workflows, reduce costs, and enhance provider economics. With a cloud-based solution that enables care anywhere through next-generation mobility, Butterfly aims to democratize healthcare by addressing critical global healthcare challenges. Butterfly devices are commercially available to trained healthcare practitioners in areas including, but not limited to, parts of Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, North America and South America; to learn more about Butterfly's Global Health Program, please visit: https://www.butterflynetwork.com/global-health.
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