In the United States, an artificial intelligence powered ultrasound device has been approved for use in patient examinations.
According to media reports, the American company Butterfly Network has announced that it has received US regulatory approval for the use of an AI powered ultrasound tool.
According to the company, this device has the ability to automatically estimate gestational age, and this advancement could improve access to maternity healthcare services in underdeveloped areas.
This advanced technology differs from traditional ultrasound machines that use expensive piezoelectric crystals. In contrast, Butterfly’s device consists of a single silicon chip capable of imaging the entire body.
The company states that this AI tool provides an estimate of gestational age in less than two minutes, and it does not require the user to have expertise in capturing images or performing complex medical measurements.
The model has been trained on more than 21 million ultrasound images collected from diverse patients and clinical environments. This technology is designed to deliver accurate results for pregnancies between 16 and 37 weeks.
The Food and Drug Administration is also encouraging the use of artificial intelligence in medical devices. According to the agency, this approach can help improve the quality of treatment.
According to the company, this tool has been integrated into its mobile app, aiming to assist doctors in making quick and effective decisions in emergency wards, rural clinics, and low resource healthcare centers.
The company says that this technology is already being used in African countries Malawi and Uganda, and there are plans to introduce it in the United States and other international markets in the future.
