At Zebra Medical, we’ve long championed the transformative capabilities of the Butterfly iQ+™ handheld ultrasound probe. When it comes to medical innovation, the proof is in the testimonies of those who wield the technology day in and day out. Don’t just take our word for it – here’s what your fellow healthcare professionals have to say about their experiences in the field.
Nice use case today. Adult patient with CP presenting for total intravenous anaesthesia for a Montgomery T-tube exchange, so IV access critical, but the patient has contractures and terrible veins. Rather than waste time searching and delaying theatre start we were able to whip out the iQ+ and pop in an ultrasound-guided peripheral IV faster than it would have taken to find and fetch a ‘big’ ultrasound machine. The Butterfly probe takes a little getting used to when doing vascular access, but it is well worth the effort for the convenience of having it always immediately available.
April 2025
Prof Ross Hofmeyr | Dept. of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, UCT
I have been using the Butterfly iQ+ for more than two years and it has revolutionised my clinical practice. The portability and durability of the Butterfly iQ+ probe allows me to keep it the pocket of my scrubs so that I can use it for any patient contact throughout my day; whether it is in the emergency centre, ward, or out-patient clinic. As a Family Physician, I especially love its incredibly broad range of uses across all aspects of medicine. In the out-patient setting I can use it to find a sneaky Implanon that is proving tricky to remove. I can also use it to quickly and definitively distinguish between simple cellulitis and complicated cellulitis with an abscess. In the ward I can use it to find a small pleural effusion, and then I can use it to safely and accurately get a needle into the small pleural effusion. In the emergency centre I can use it to distinguish between an exacerbation of chronic lung disease or a new acute heart failure in a multi-co-morbid patient with acute shortness of breath. The stethoscope (apart from listening for wheeze) is completely dead to me!
April 2025
– Dr James Porter | Family Physician, False Bay Hospital, Western Cape Department of Health & Wellness Senior Lecturer, Division of Family Medicine, Department of Family, Community & Emergency Care, University of Cape Town, MBChB (UCT), MMed Fam Med (UCT), FCFP (SA)
Have broken it down into multiple sections to convey each benefit I’ve felt being a student with a butterfly so far
The Butterfly Effect
We’ve all been there—it’s late, you’re on call, and a patient arrives needing urgent care after the ultrasonographer has gone home. One night in the Emergency Centre, faced with a patient with abdominal fluid and no access to imaging until morning, I pulled out my Butterfly. Within minutes, we identified the problem and initiated treatment—something that could have taken hours of waiting.
## Practical Efficiency in Daily Practice
What I love most about the Butterfly is its sheer practicality. Gone are the days of sending students up and down three floors to find an ultrasonographer or drag around a bulky machine just to check for a possible ectopic pregnancy. With the Butterfly, we completed that scan in five minutes. The excitement among fellow students and doctors is palpable.
## Bridging Gaps in Rural Healthcare
This technology’s value extends far beyond urban hospitals. While working in rural KwaZulu-Natal at Church of Scotland Hospital, I saw its impact firsthand. Patients who would otherwise have had to travel for hours and sacrifice a day’s wages just to wait in line for a scan could now be diagnosed on the spot. I recall an intern discussing a jaundiced patient with a consultant—there was no availability for scanning that week. But with the Butterfly, we quickly identified a serious liver lesion that required urgent attention. That patient received care days sooner than they would have otherwise.
## A Tool for Teaching and Collaboration
Perhaps the most affirming shift has been how consultants now actively seek me out. Whether in Obstetrics and Gynaecology or the EC, they often request to use my Butterfly—initially for novelty, then for convenience, and ultimately for its reliability. These moments have opened the door to incredible bedside teaching. Consultants walk me through their scans, pointing out subtle findings and offering insights I would otherwise miss. The spontaneous, real-time teaching that occurs in these settings has been invaluable to my learning.
## A Versatile Companion in the Emergency Centre
The EC remains my favorite setting to use the Butterfly. In just one morning, I can assist with E-FAST scans, echocardiograms, bladder volume checks, pyelonephritis assessments, DVT screenings, and fracture evaluations. The variety of cases and immediate diagnostic feedback offer an unparalleled learning experience.
## Tangible Impact on Patient Care
Most importantly, patients across all levels of care—from rural clinics to tertiary hospitals—are receiving more scans, faster. The Butterfly hasn’t just enhanced my medical education; it has tangibly improved patient care. It’s become an extension of my clinical skillset, and I can’t imagine practicing without it.
– Jonty Wright | MBChB V Stellenbosch University
Our team of hospitalists in Nelspruit have used the Butterfly IQ+ extensively since August 2023. It is used for both diagnostic POCUS and procedural guidance in the Emergency Centre and Critical Care Units, and we do around 600 scans with it per month. It’s portability allows us to travel effortlessly between units and hospitals and the worksheets and Enterprise backup allows us to do clinical reports and billing on the go.
As an extension of our clinical examination, it has become an invaluable tool in expediting clinical care, whether that be for a patient with chest pain in the EC or one with dyspnoea in the CCU. Furthermore, the image quality allows us to safely perform procedures such as vascular access or regional anesthesia at the patient’s bedside.
At the price point, it offers excellent value for money compared to traditional ultrasound systems. In fact, it has completely replaced traditional ultrasound machines in our practice.
April 2025
– Dr Stefan Basson | Emergency Physician and Hospitalist with ER Consulting Inc., Nelspruit.
All-in-One on a Hot Autumn Day
As an emergency and critical care physician, my motto is always the same—be prepared. That’s precisely why I brought my Butterfly PoCUS probe with me to the 2025 Two Oceans Ultra and Half Marathons in Cape Town—“just in case.”
Once again, I was tasked with assisting in the High Care/ICU medical tent at the finish line of this year’s event. In previous years, the Butterfly probe proved useful for occasional assessments, such as evaluating the inferior vena cava or locating a vessel for challenging cannulation. Little did I know how invaluable my decision to bring it along would turn out to be this year. Both events were packed to capacity, and for late autumn, the weather was unexpectedly intense— hot, humid, and almost windless. It was a perfect storm for medical emergencies. While we anticipated seeing more runners in the medical tents due to inadequate preparation for the half marathon, the first patient with severe heatstroke arrived at our ICU shortly after 9 a.m. on the day of the Ultra. That marked the beginning of a grueling day.
Patient after patient arrived, and the ability to perform a thorough fluid assessment using the Butterfly PoCUS helped accelerate the entire process—from diagnosis to management and disposition. I likely performed more inferior vena cava scans that day than ever before, ultimately avoiding a slew of unnecessary IV lines. I had perfected my workflow: the Butterfly probe snugly in one pocket of my scrub top, connected to my iPad Mini in the other. Equipped with lubricant sachets for gel and antiseptic wipes, each patient received a quick scan before moving on to the next. Day 1—complete.
Feeling confident about day two, I planned to repeat the same process. And it worked, mostly. However, the runners from the half marathon on day two presented entirely different challenges: • Training and running with viral illness: Myocarditis confirmed with a quick echocardiac view. • Chest pain and shortness of breath in a veteran runner: Acute coronary syndrome with pulmonary edema verified through heart and lung scans. • Right upper quadrant pain following a recent cholecystectomy: A quick scan confirmed no obvious obstruction from residual stones.
– Sudden collapse with seizures and reduced consciousness: Optic nerve sheath scans ruled out raised intracranial pressure. These were on top of the usual triage cases involving heat exhaustion and dehydration. Despite my concern that the probe’s battery might fail under such heavy use, it performed flawlessly all day. It even outshined a competing wireless device, which struggled to connect during an MSK scan, proving that the Butterfly PoCUS is not just versatile—it’s reliable. I always believed in the Butterfly iQ+ as a capable all-rounder. This experience was an unexpected opportunity to reaffirm its brilliance, and it delivered spectacularly.
– Dr Dawie Schoeman | Specialist Emergency Physician, Critical Care / ICU, Livingstone Tertiary Hospital
Lung ultrasonography is becoming an essential diagnostic tool for managing respiratory conditions in children. There is an ever-increasing body research and literary work that supports this. In underserved communities, like South Africa, the Butterfly is a robust portable device that is very affordable when compared to other machines preforming similar diagnostics. It allows point-of-care lung ultrasound at the bedside in the most rural areas and so address challenges such as the absence of radiology services, high patient costs, and geographic limitations, that low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have to face. The idea that a probe such as Butterfly can be used to help identify TB and pneumonia in children is very compelling given South Africa’s primary healthcare context.
Here are some pointers on point-of-care lung ultrasound in paediatric respiratory diseases:
1. The probability of diagnosing pneumonia in children with a suspected lower respiratory tract infection is significantly reduced with a normal lung ultrasound examination (https://cloud.butterflynetwork.com/-/shared/sPSf90nVRAewAmxrSFfOHw?region=US).
2. Lung ultrasound is more sensitive in detecting subpleural consolidations (<1cm) than chest x-ray (https://cloud.butterflynetwork.com/-/shared/FZ83l1ndRsuoV544cZafyw?region=US).
3. Lung ultrasound features suggestive of viral aetiology include widespread, multiple small consolidations (<10mm) often associated with the presence of pathological B-lines and irregular pleura (https://cloud.butterflynetwork.com/-/shared/lknYco2GTTeMt4OPM9MFNA?region=US).
4. Lung ultrasound is useful in diagnosing complications of pneumonia in children, e.g. pleural effusion (https://cloud.butterflynetwork.com/-/shared/ziule7mlT-yKmeJ_0qSKRg?region=US).
5. Widespread micro subpleural consolidations (<5mm) with irregular pleura might be indicative of miliary tuberculosis in the right clinical context (https://cloud.butterflynetwork.com/-/shared/QTjy4SGcQnqBfKN2Hig9uA?region=US).
– Prof. Niël van Hoving | Emergency physician, MBChBDip PEC (SA)/ MMed/MscMedSci/PhD
Having utilised the Butterfly iQ+ across clinical care, teaching, proficiency tracking, quality assurance, and billing workflows, I can confidently attest to both its outstanding bedside functionality and the intuitive nature of its backend features. It’s an excellent teaching tool – simple to use, highly portable, and ideal for monitoring the progress of junior staff. It also supports robust clinical governance across diverse healthcare settings. I’m a strong proponent of the device and fully advocate for its use in both pre-hospital and in-hospital environments.
– Dr Luke Sampson | Medical Executive & Digital Health Strategist
At the University of Pretoria, we have successfully implemented ultrasound training into our 5th year medical programme. Making use the extensive library of training videos with self -assessment we designed a compulsory pre-practical platform which each student had to pass and provide a completion certificate. Thereafter, they were issued with Butterfly Ultrasound probes and allowed to practice eFast’s on ward patient, under supervision. The final step was a live one-on-one patient US assessment which was graded. This year, all 278 students were passed as proficient in basic ultrasound. Next year we look forward to integrating the new AI Butterfly software into practical component, allowing for greater exposure to live patients without requiring more supervision. In addition, we have now implemented a compulsory ultrasound training module for our general surgery registars, and in-between training are able to use the probes to perform bedside procedures such as placing CVP’s, draining abscesses etc. Awesome product and platform, well done Zebra Medical for bringing it to SA!!
– Prof Martin Brand
“I’m an emergency medicine specialist with a keen interest in the utility of point of care ultrasound in limited and low resource settings. I’ve been using the ButterflyiQ+ since 2020 – when, during COVID-19 and while a part of the response team in the western cape, I received the original ButterflyiQ to use to aid in our pandemic response.
Given its its portability adaptability and ultimately success for use in paramedics, I was later given the iQ+ as part of a research initiative to evaluate the user experience in low resource settings. I’ve been using the ButterflyiQ+ for over 3 years now and found it to be an invaluable assess to my toolkit as a specialist emergency physician. Although I have access to full stack echocardiography machine, for Quick Look scans, mass casualty incidents, ward rounds and bedside teaching are uniquely suited to butterfly. I recently published a paper evaluating the utility of this handheld device for the diagnosis of acute valve emergencies (compared against cart based machines) and found surprisingly accurate results.
The smaller footprint of the butterfly probe compared to the standard linear probe, makes it ideal for procedural guidance – like difficult peripheral venous access, pericardiocentesis and regional nerve blocks.
Although I haven’t found much clinical use for the biplane or pulsed wave features in practice, I use these a lot for bedside teaching. The ability to change to iPad and iPhone as well as stream the output to another device is key feature improving the teaching of pocus.
While the ButterflyiQ+ does not replace my full stack echocardiography capable machine, it my device of choice for outreach visits, and ward consults, rapid triage (like in mass casualties), on the road and prehospital, and procedural guidance in difficult areas. The ability to offer three probes in one, and its extended battery life with educational support sets it apart from other handheld devices on the market”
– Dr Kamlin Ekambaram
“Our team in Nelspruit has used the Butterfly IQ+™ since August 2023 and we do around 500 POCUS scans with it per month. We use it for a range of POCUS guided procedures, as well as diagnostic POCUS, in both the Emergency Centre and Critical Care units and its portability allows us to easily travel with it between hospitals. It is especially useful to be able to generate worksheet reports on the App in real time and upload these along with still images and videos onto the cloud. The process of attaching the PDF report to my Electronic Medical Records is also a simple one. I have used the device on a range of patients, from neonates weighing 660 grams, to 100 year old geriatric patients. The Butterfly IQ+™ POCUS device has completely replaced traditional ultrasound machines in our unit.”
– Dr Stefan Basson | Emergency Physician and Hospitalist with ER Consulting Inc., Nelspruit.
“The chip-based technology is a game-changer. There are many handheld probes available but having one probe that can do the job of three probes is amazing. My favourite party-trick is the bi-plane view for vascular access. It’s the first thing I show someone when I want to brag about how versatile the Butterfly iQ+™ is. I also love the fact that if I accidentally drop it (which I have, many times!) you don’t knock out a Piezoelectric crystal and have to replace an expensive probe. Its durability is a real selling point.
I have tried other handheld probes that are wireless and broadcast their own wifi networks for your phone to connect to, and while the lack of wires is nice, the quality of the image and stability of the wifi connection is unreliable. With Butterfly’s wired connection the quality is always excellent and reliable.
In general, the build quality of the Butterfly iQ+™ is much better than other handheld devices I have used, and the app/user interface is far superior and much more intuitive. It is elegant and easy to use.
The best part of PoCUS with the Butterfly iQ+™ is how often it allows you to correctly change the management of a patient. A common presentation to our EC is a patient with multiple comorbidities (cardiac & pulmonary) and undifferentiated respiratory distress. A quick PoCUS with my Butterfly iQ+™ can reveal decreased left ventricular contractility on cardiac PoCUS and diffuse, bilateral B-lines on lung PoCUS. I can then confidently rule in acute heart failure and immediately begin treating the patient.”
Dr James Porter | MBChB (UCT), MMed Fam Med (UCT), FCFP (SA) Family Physician, False Bay Hospital, Western Cape Department of Health & Wellness Senior Lecturer, Division of Family Medicine, Department of Family, Community & Emergency Care, University of Cape Town
I’ve been using the ButterflyiQ+™ ultrasound device for a while now when I’m doing my clinical shifts. The biggest value for me is that the device is ultra-mobile, allowing me to quickly move between patients without the hassle of playing ‘musical beds’ with patients in an overcrowded emergency centre where it’s difficult to manoeuvre the big cart-based machines next to the patient. The Butterfly iQ+™ device also allows me to use different frequencies to assess various parts of the body without the need to change probes. It’s a single probe for whole body use.
On one of my recent shifts, I evaluated a 36-year-old female with a very atypical presentation of loss of vision, weight loss and a painful distended abdomen. She was HIV-positive and had stopped taking her antiretroviral medication. On examination, she had complete vision loss with multiple cranial nerve fallouts, but no meningism. Her left breast had a hard palpable mass. Her abdomen was soft and diffusely tender without signs of peritonism. On point of care ultrasound, she had bilateral pleural effusions, multiple lesions in her liver and spleen, and enlarged para-aortic lymph nodes. The clinical suspicion of breast cancer with metastases was confirmed with histology and a subsequent CT of the brain, chest and abdomen. The ultrasound images assisted in fast tracking the patient to appropriate definitive diagnostic imaging.
See the scans for this patient on YouTube
Dr Niël van Hoving | Emergency physician MBChB | Dip PEC (SA) | MMed (EM) | MScMedSci (Clin Epi) | PhD
“Love having my Butterfly iQ+™ ready and at hand at all times for vascular access. From central lines to arterial lines and even difficult peripheral lines! Whether I am in theatre, icu or the ward, I never have to wait for someone to bring the hospital’s ultrasound device, and I never have to fiddle with the settings on an unfamiliar machine!”
– Dr Charlé Steyl | Anaesthesiologist South Africa / Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University
“Having the Butterfly iQ+™ has completely revolutionised how I practise medicine. In the ED I truly use it as an all-in-one, whole body scanner affording the power to assess and treat my patients much quicker and much cheaper! The Butterfly in my hand is my new super power!”
– Dr Ishe Mukoki, ER
“Air Rescue Africa makes use of the Butterfly iQ+™ as part of the standard equipment on all air ambulance missions. We have been using point of care ultrasound in the air for the past 10 years, but since introducing the Butterfly iQ+™ at end of 2022 it has made a tangible impact on patient care and clinical governance. The ease of use, compact size and versatility makes it the ideal portable device for air ambulance operations. Reviewing scans done by our clinicians are now easier than ever and has contributed significantly to strengthening our governance of ultrasound use.
We’ve had many instances where the devices assisted us in making a diagnosis or performing procedures in resource limited settings all across the African continent. Good examples being patients receiving ultrasound guided regional Anaesthesia for various limb injuries, in many cases then being transported pain free.”
– Dr Ulrich Carshagen | Lead Flight Physician, Air Rescue Africa
“We have been fortunate enough to use the Butterfly in our hospital. While we do have access to echocardiogram machines, they are big and bulky. The Butterfly has allowed us to perform point of care ultrasound at the patient’s bedside with ease. We have used it to look at patients’ ejection fractions whilst on ward rounds, allowing rapid diagnostics decisions to be made. We have also used it for real-time ultrasound guided taps and inter-costal drain placements for loculated effusions. All in all, it has been very useful to have access to the portable Butterfly ultrasound system as both an extension of our examination of patients as well as guiding our procedures.”
– Dr Hsin-Chi Huang | MBChB (UCT), DipPEC(SA), FCP(SA), MMED (UCT)
Cutting-Edge Butterfly Handheld Portable Ultrasound: A Game-Changer in Medical Imaging
As a modern medical enthusiast and user of medical technology, I must say the Butterfly handheld portable ultrasound is a revolutionary device that has truly transformed my practice. From its seamless connectivity to its remarkable imaging capabilities, this device has exceeded my expectations in every aspect.
First and foremost, the plug-and-play functionality of the Butterfly ultrasound makes it incredibly easy to use, allowing me to focus more on my patients and less on technical setup. The educational platform provided is simply outstanding, offering comprehensive resources that have proven to be invaluable in my day-to-day practice.
The user-friendly app platform further enhances the overall experience, providing intuitive controls and access to a wealth of features. Despite its advanced technology, the price competitiveness of the Butterfly ultrasound against other market competitors is truly impressive.
One of the standout features of this device is its exceptional battery life, which ensures uninterrupted usage throughout the day. The portability of the Butterfly ultrasound is also a game-changer, allowing me to conduct scans in any setting with ease.
I was particularly impressed by the accuracy and reliability of the measurements in the different presets, which are almost always straightforward and precise. The imaging quality, despite being microchip-based rather than crystal-based, is truly remarkable, offering clear and detailed visuals that rival traditional systems.
Furthermore, the device’s ability to be cleaned with almost any disinfectant is a major advantage for infection control, ensuring a safe and hygienic environment for both patients and healthcare providers.
While there are a few minor drawbacks, such as the time it takes to recharge the battery and the slightly subpar imaging compared to crystal-based probes, these are far outweighed by the numerous benefits of the Butterfly ultrasound. Additionally, my personal concerns about cable replacement have yet to materialise, as the device has proven to be durable and reliable during my trial period.
In conclusion, the Butterfly handheld portable ultrasound sets a new standard in medical imaging technology, offering unparalleled convenience, performance, and value. I highly recommend it to any healthcare professional looking to elevate their practice to new heights.”
– Dr. Elri du Preez | MBChB (UP) (Cum Laude)
“Two years have flown by, but it still feels like yesterday when the Butterfly iQ+™ probe changed my view of handheld POCUS (and my practice) forever. Of course it has its limitations, but I really like my Swiss Army knife of POCUS probes. If I need to be formally to-the-point – its compact design and portability enable point-of-care ultrasound to be seamlessly integrated into various clinical settings, enhancing accessibility and efficiency. It also makes itself indispensable. If I am required to see or review a referral and I don’t have the blue-butterfly logo bag swung across my shoulder I feel ill-equipped (almost like I have lost a limb), as I have grown so accustomed to being able to quickly assess cardiorespiratory, urinary and vascular (and often more complex) systems on the fly. Our registrars are also more and more frequently knocking on my door to use the device’s vascular access guidance, and at times they buddy up to do procedures where one would historically have been left to your own devices – just to be able to use the Butterfly.
Registrars from especially the surgical disciplines are nowadays very aware of the benefits of POCUS, but now only with their exposure to the Butterfly in our ICU they realise how wide its application can be. Together we have:
- Ruled out (and confirmed complex) DVT’s in all number of places
- Put in lots of difficult lines
- Placed percutaneous drains
- Aspirated collections
- While waiting for mobile Xrays had the ability to decide between antibiotics, thoracocentesis or bronchoscopy (and being able to cancel those Xrays)
- Made informed decisions regarding fluid management and administration
- Avoided costly ICU admissions for dialysis
- Etc. etc. etc.
The device’s current affordability makes “advanced” imaging technology now even more accessible to these young doctors and a wider range of healthcare providers, potentially revolutionising diagnostic capabilities in our constant resource-limited environments.
I still feel very humbled and grateful to have access to one of these devices and hope to be able to keep using it and spread the gospel to many others – on occasion there might be a significant find, but more often the small things you find out about your patients’ clinical status on an almost daily basis are those making the biggest positive impact on their care.”
– Dr Dawie Schoeman | Specialist Emergency Physician, Critical Care / ICU, Livingstone Tertiary Hospital
“Hi there, I’m Dylan Gibson and I’m a family physician working in Gqeberha. I have owned a Butterfly iQ+™ for three years now. I love how I can scan any part of the body without having to worry about switching probes – this means I can do a cardiac ultrasound and scan for a DVT in the same patient very efficiently. I find that the battery lasts a long time, the image quality is sufficient for me to get the information I need and the build quality is of an incredibly high standard. I find that it works well with a cell phone and the interface makes it easy to change presets, gain and depth intuitively. I worked in a district hospital here in Gqeberha for some time where we did not have access to ultrasound. During ward rounds I was able to scan for pleural effusions, DVT’s, cardiac problems and pneumothoraces using my Butterfly iQ+™ which avoided needing to refer patients for formal ultrasounds. Overall I’m happy with my Butterfly and would highly recommend it to anyone that does / wants to do POCUS regularly.”
– Dr Dylan Gibson | FCFP (WSU)
