Butterfly Network Inc. is sharing promising preliminary findings from a seminal study showing point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can help reduce hospitals stays and costs.

Conducted by Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH)—an RWJBarnabas Health facility—the data demonstrate POCUS’s significant impact on patient outcomes and hospital efficiency. The study focused on using cardiopulmonary POCUS for patients admitted to the hospital with shortness of breath without an identifiable cause. It was designed as a prospective, head-to-head comparison of hospital physicians who utilized Butterfly iQ+ and/or iQ3 POCUS devices compared with those who did not use POCUS.

Results showed a significant reduction in both hospital length of stay (LOS) and healthcare costs. Patients experienced an average LOS reduction of over four days. Lower-acuity patients’ LOS fell from 6.7 to 5.6 days. For higher-acuity patients, LOS dropped from 39 to 16.7 days. These reductions also translated into substantial financial savings, with lower-acuity patients experiencing up to 50% cost reduction.

“This study is an important demonstration that point-of-care ultrasound can serve as a practical tool for stratifying patient acuity, reducing hospital resource utilization, and improving patient flow,” said Dr. Partho Sengupta, Henry Rutgers Professor of Cardiology, chief of Cardiovascular Medicine at RWJMS and RWJUH, and principal study investigator. “The preliminary findings support the growing body of evidence advocating for POCUS as an essential component of modern hospital care and underscore the need for broader adoption of POCUS to improve outcomes and address healthcare inefficiencies.”

Daily lung ultrasound (LUS) use was a key factor in accelerating discharge for lower-acuity patients, demonstrating the ways this technology can facilitate more efficient and effective patient management.

“These results reflect the value of POCUS in enhancing care delivery and reducing the financial burden of hospitalizations,” Butterfly Network Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Martin said. “The integration of POCUS into hospital workflows is not just about advancing technology but about transforming the patient experience while addressing critical challenges in healthcare systems.”

The full study is anticipated to be published in the first half of this year.

Founded by Dr. Jonathan Rothberg in 2011, Butterfly Network is a digital health company striving to democratize medical imaging by making high-quality ultrasound affordable, easy-to-use, globally accessible, and intelligently connected, including for the 4.7 billion people around the world lacking access to ultrasound. Butterfly created the world’s first handheld single-probe, whole-body ultrasound system using semiconductor technology, Butterfly iQ. The company has continued to innovate, leveraging the benefits of Moore’s Law, to launch its second generation Butterfly iQ+ in 2020, and third generation iQ3 in 2024—each version of which featured increased processing power and performance enhancements. The technology has been recognized by TIME’s Best Inventions, Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas, CNBC Disruptor 50, and MedTech Breakthrough Awards, among other accolades. With its proprietary Ultrasound-on-Chip technology, intelligent software, and educational offerings, Butterfly is attempting to induce mass adoption of ultrasound for earlier detection and remote health management worldwide. 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.