Unlike regular ultrasound machines that use costly piezoelectric crystals, Butterfly Network’s device works with a single silicon chip to capture whole-body images. The AI-powered tool can estimate a baby’s gestational age in under two minutes, without the user needing to interpret images, perform measurements, or have specialized training, the company said.

The AI model behind the tool was trained on over 21 million ultrasound images from a wide range of patients and clinical settings. It is designed to provide reliable results for pregnancies between 16 and 37 weeks.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently encouraged the use of artificial intelligence in medical devices. According to the FDA, AI and machine learning can improve healthcare by generating useful insights from data collected during care.

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Butterfly Network said the tool is built into its app to help doctors make quicker decisions in emergency rooms, rural clinics, and other low-resource areas. The company also noted that many rural counties in the U.S. still lack hospital obstetric services, highlighting the need for improved access to prenatal imaging.

The device has already been used in Malawi and Uganda, and Butterfly plans to expand its availability in the U.S. and other countries to reach more mothers and improve maternal care worldwide.