Butterfly Network Inc shares added almost 30% after the company announced on Monday that its AI-enabled lung tool Auto B-line Counter has received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The Auto B-line Counter may simplify how healthcare professionals evaluate adults with suspected diminished lung function and can potentially accelerate their ability to make informed treatment decisions at the point of care, Butterfly Network said in a statement.
The tool leverages deep learning technology to produce a B-line count from just a six-second ultrasound clip, which the company noted is a drastic change from traditionally manual, subjective counting processes to more consistent interpretation of B-lines.
B-lines on an ultrasound scan appear as bright, vertical lines that indicate wetness in the lungs and are associated with pulmonary air-space diseases, such as congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia and COVID-19.
Butterfly Network’s cloud-based data collection protocol can access more than 3.5 million de-identified ultrasound images to develop and train its AI algorithms, the company noted.
"Our AI-enabled Auto B-line Counter empowers providers to assess lung conditions faster and with more confidence, and in turn, will aid in earlier detection, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, a leading cause of death globally, taking nearly 18 million lives each year,” commented Butterfly Network interim CEO Dr Jonathan Rothberg.
“Applying AI to make ultrasound easier to use is core to Butterfly, and will enable powerful ultrasound to be in the palm of more clinician's hands, across specialties, to monitor, assess, and prescribe treatments in a more informed way.”
Butterfly Network stock was up 27.5% at US$2.39 on Tuesday morning.
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