Photo courtesy of Atrium Health
CHARLOTTE – Atrium Health is using a hand-held ultrasound probe that connects to a smartphone or tablet, allowing a physician to quickly and safely examine a patient’s body, whether they are in an exam room or at home.
In addition to examinations, the Butterfly iQ helps clinicians with common procedures like vascular access and putting in central lines. It doesn’t subject the patient to radiation and reduces infection risk to staff by bringing imaging to the bedside.
“For decades, the mental image of a doctor has been someone with a stethoscope around their neck. Going forward, this revolutionary portable ultrasound device may be just as critical for the medical professional,” said Dr. Rasu Shrestha, chief strategy and transformation officer at Atrium Health. “The Butterfly iQ devices have already given Atrium Health greater abilities in screening and monitoring COVID-19 patients by providing an immediate and clear picture of what’s happening in a patient’s lungs. But we see its benefit going well beyond the current pandemic. Our teams are already using it to provide care for heart patients, and we anticipate this device ushering in a new era of frontline care.”
Atrium Health has used the Butterfly iQ devices to perform thousands of scans. The devices are active at more than 30 high-priority locations, such as COVID-19 testing centers, emergency departments, intensive care units and Atrium Health’s Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute.
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