Butterfly Network to Extend its Proprietary 3D Imaging Capabilities

Butterfly Network Inc. plans to release its Beam Steering API for advanced third-party artificial intelligence (AI) application and technology development within the company’s Butterfly Garden and Ultrasound-on-Chip co-development programs. The new API release, expected in the first half of this year, will open access to core capabilities that were previously reserved for the company’s own app, like iQ Slice and iQ Fan.

The basis of the Beam Steering API is Butterfly’s electronically steered 3D imaging software, including off-axis beam tilt of up to 20 degrees. The technology can support advanced applications that reduce reliance on precise probe positioning, helping clinicians capture high-quality images more easily and consistently.

As portable ultrasound moves earlier in the care journey and into more clinical settings, these capabilities become increasingly important, Butterfly Network bigwigs claim. Expanding use in point-of-care, ambulatory, and frontline environments makes usability a defining factor, especially the ability for clinicians of varying skill level to acquire high-quality images.

“As the first to offer digital beam steering access to developers, Butterfly is changing the game for imaging AI, empowering more advanced tools that simplify image acquisition,” Butterfly Network Chief Business Officer Steve Cashman said. “As our platform evolves, Butterfly partners gain access to more of our core imaging capabilities, allowing them to build richer, more sophisticated applications. That ecosystem dynamic can accelerate development and drive adoption by helping ultrasound reach more providers, earlier in care and across more settings.”

Unlike legacy ultrasound systems, Butterfly is built on a semiconductor chip using a fully electronic 2D capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) array with approximately 9,000 elements, enabling software-defined beam steering across all three dimensions without mechanical motion.

“Because our beam steering is implemented entirely in software on a semiconductor chip, we already support advanced imaging modes like Biplane, iQ Slice, and iQ Fan on our own platform,” Butterfly Network Chief Technology Officer Victor Ku, Ph.D., stated. “That same architecture is what allows us to thoughtfully open these core capabilities to third-party developers through the new API.”

The planned SDK access is expected to support advanced imaging workflows across a subset of existing presets, including abdominal, cardiac, obstetric, musculoskeletal, vascular, and lung imaging. Availability, scope, and technical details will depend on ongoing development, regulatory considerations, and partner agreements.

Butterfly Network Inc. claims to be 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.