Butterfly Network and American College of Cardiology Join Forces to Transform Cardiovascular Care with Ultrasound

GUILFORD, Conn., Oct. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Butterfly Network and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) are joining forces to transform the use of ultrasound within cardiology using the Butterfly iQ+. Earlier this week, Butterfly announced the release of its next-generation ultrasound product, Butterfly iQ+, the world's only single-probe, whole-body ultrasound system that connects to a mobile device and features an integrated telemedicine platform.

An estimated 6.2 million adults in the United States have heart failure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and it is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity. Currently, there are more than one million hospitalizations of patients with exacerbation of heart failure, and 25% of those patients are readmitted within 30 days. The ACC and Butterfly Network will attempt to change this by collaborating on a clinical trial that leverages Butterfly's innovative technology for at-home ultrasound scanning.

"Our collaboration with the ACC will help us design clinical trials and care pathways for some of the more challenging heart diseases and accelerate the adoption of point-of-care ultrasound by cardiovascular clinicians," said Dr. John Martin, Butterfly Network's Chief Medical Officer. "One of the key targets is heart failure, with a goal to radically change monitoring. If patients can assess their status at home via AI-guided lung scans with their clinician or care team remotely, we can avoid unnecessary and costly hospital visits. This will also provide patients with more timely intervention, improve quality of care, and improve their quality of life."

Butterfly Network has long recognized that the key to unlocking the value of ultrasound is to remove the barriers of cost and complexity in traditional systems through innovation. The ACC's strategic investment in Butterfly Network and collaboration on clinical trials will increase access to point-of-care ultrasound in the management of critical cardiovascular diseases.

"Through innovative collaborations like this—directly linking the technology and clinical worlds—the ACC aims to transform cardiovascular care and improve health outcomes," said Dr. John Rumsfeld, ACC's Chief Science and Chief Innovation Officer. "The ACC will work in sync with Butterfly to help guide the scientific evaluation and clinical integration of point-of-care ultrasound in the management of cardiovascular conditions."

"The ACC's forward-thinking matches Butterfly's disruptive and transformative innovation DNA. It's been 71 years since its founding and the ACC is still setting the pace with the gold standard for heart health care," said Laurent Faracci, Butterfly Network's Chief Executive Officer. "We're thrilled to be working with the ACC to transform cardiovascular care together, especially in the critical area of congestive heart failure, for better care, better outcomes, and lower cost to all constituents."

The American College of Cardiology envisions a world where innovation and knowledge optimize cardiovascular care and outcomes. As the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team, the mission of the College and its 54,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC bestows credentials upon cardiovascular professionals who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College also provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research through its world-renowned JACC Journals, operates national registries to measure and improve care, and offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions. For more, visit acc.org.

About Butterfly Network
Founded by Dr. Jonathan Rothberg in 2011, Butterfly Network has created the world's only handheld, single-probe whole-body ultrasound system, Butterfly iQ+, making ultrasound technology universally accessible and affordable. Butterfly Network's mission is to democratize healthcare for the 4.7 billion people around the world lacking access to medical imaging. Through their patented Ultrasound-On-Chip™ technology, Butterfly Network is paving the way for earlier detection and remote management of health conditions around the world.

SOURCE Butterfly Network, Inc.; American College of Cardiology