Tele-Guidance product from Butterfly Network
Five months after Butterfly Network received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for an ultrasound-on-a-chip based imaging system for mobile devices, the company has developed an augmented reality tool to support consults via telemedicine.
Butterfly previewed its Tele-Guidance technology at the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) Convention in New York City.
Behavioral Health, Interoperability and eConsent: Meeting the Demands of CMS Final Rule Compliance
In a webinar on April 16 at 1pm ET, Aneesh Chopra will moderate a discussion with executives from DocuSign, Velatura, and behavioral health providers on eConsent, health information exchange and compliance with the CMS Final Rule on interoperability.
Although the company envisions a variety of users, particularly healthcare professionals in developing countries, rural care is one area where Butterfly’s technology would be particularly useful in which a primary care physician or healthcare professional could be guided by a specialist, Chief of Medical Officer John Martin noted.
“A novice user in a rural town needs an expert opinion on a patient. Using our Tele-Guidance technology, the remote expert can see on her computer both where the user places the probe, and the resulting ultrasound image. By using her mouse to manipulate 3D arrows on the screen, the expert can guide the user to the optimal view to better understand the patient’s condition.”
He added that there is a role for this technology not only in education but also in the clinical practice of medicine. The company’s first indication for Tele-Guidance will be maternal-fetal health, Martin noted in a phone interview. He explained the company has been in talks with the Gates Foundation among other organizations.
Butterfly Network Jonathan Rothberg noted in a news release that with limited access to medical imaging in developing countries and with limited expense and expertise in developed countries, the company’s technology offers a unique approach to addressing those shortages.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Martin said the company plans to do clinical studies for its new telemedicine product and hopes to bring it into clinical practices in the latter part of the year.
Butterfly Network isn’t the only company in the portable ultrasound space. Clarius Mobile Health developed a product aimed at improving medical education called Clarius Cast. Mobisante is another business that’s developed devices to make ultrasound more accessible in developing countries.
But Butterfly’s approach also calls attention to the integration of augmented reality in medical imaging, particularly for training. GE Healthcare and Philips, for example, have both talked about tools they’re developing in this area. Philips this week launched an integrated tele-ultrasound product that paired its Lumify portable ultrasound system with Innovative Integrative Technologies’ Remote Education, Augmented Communication, Training and Supervision tool known as REACTS. GE Global Research is using Microsoft HoloLens as a training tool with ultrasound to teach students how to properly locate and scan various organs.
But telemedicine also has the potential to do more than facilitate medical imaging. Mayo Clinic is working with Corindus Vascular Robotics Telemedicine to do “tele-stenting”. The project would enable a remote doctor to guide a telemedicine robot conducting the procedure.
