Cancer is the leading cause of high mortality rates in the world. Sometimes, cancer kills because it is incurable. However, more often than not, people die from cancer because of delayed diagnosis. New technology from Guilford, Connecticut-based biotech firm Butterfly Network might just change that. The Butterfly Network has created a revolutionary portable ultrasound machine that in conjunction with Apple’s iPhone, can help people detect cancer from the comfort of their homes. They are calling it the Butterfly IQ and you can use this iPhone Ultrasound.
What’s new with the Butterfly IQ?
Cancer detection has been an almost impossible task for people with no money or access to hospitals. This is because the equipment needed to conduct cancer diagnostic tests, the ultrasound machine, is bulky and expensive to purchase, especially for minor hospitals. Butterfly IQ eliminates the size and price problems presented by such medical equipment.
In the past, ultrasound machines utilized vibrating crystals to produce sounds that ultimately allowed imaging. The Butterfly IQ uses “capacitive micro-machined ultrasound transducers†or drums mounted on a semiconductive chip to create images. The shift in constructive materials has made this latest ultrasound machine model not only portable but also affordable. The Butterfly IQ will go for $1,999, a significant reduction from the current ultrasound retail price of $5,999.
It can be groundbreaking
The Butterfly Network has invested over $100 million into creating the Butterfly IQ since it began in 2011. It hopes to mass produce and sell enough of the ultrasound machine to make a profit by next year, and save numerous lives along the way.
Experts in orthopedics see the Butterfly IQ as a game changer. Vascular surgeon John Martin, under treatment for the squamous cell cancer he detected using the device, thinks that the Butterfly IQ is revolutionary and has the potential to be groundbreaking. “It will be a window to the body that anyone can afford, use and interpret,†Martin remarked.
He was referring to the plans that Butterfly Network has to integrate the ultrasound machine with AI to enable anyone with Butterfly IQ to know how to scan themselves with it and correctly identify and interpret what they see.
