Preparation
To use Butterfly, you need to download the Butterfly iQ App to your mobile device, create an account, sign in, and register your iQ while connected to the internet. For instructions on using your Butterfly for the first time, click here.
The Butterfly probe is built to last a traditional shift of 10-12 hours with intermittent scanning, or for two hours of continuous scanning;.
The Butterfly iQ's charger is dual voltage. The voltage of the battery is 4.5 V. Removing or changing the battery is not possible.
Scanning Without Internet
Butterfly can be used without internet for several days. When scanning offline, all studies are stored locally in an outbox. You cannot upload studies or share them between users without an internet connection.
While scanning without internet, images are temporarily stored locally on the mobile device. After an internet connection is made, all of the studies are uploaded to the cloud. Best practice is to upload regularly, if not daily. If uploading several cines, it can be useful to set a shorter time limit on captures (see the related article, Capturing and Recording Images for instructions).
Individual images taken with a Butterfly are between 250KB-1MB, and videos are 1-2 MB per second of recording. The Butterfly iQ app is less than 1GB. It is not recommended to include a large number of videos and images in a single study, as larger uploads can increase the likelihood of upload failures.
Android users will not be able to click into studies in the outbox to view captures and study details.
Regular Updates
After the app has been downloaded onto a mobile device, the account has been created and the user has logged in, the Butterfly can be used without the internet.
Please note that Butterfly iQ app must connect to the internet every 30 days. If your device does not connect to the internet for 30 days or more, you will be unable to scan until connected to the internet.
If you require the ability use your Butterfly for more than 30 days without internet access, please click here to contact Butterfly Support.
Viewing and Sharing Studies
We store your ultrasound data remotely in our secure Butterfly Cloud and do not use local image storage for uploaded studies. As a result, viewing and loading studies requires an internet connection. Upload to a PACS system, sharing studies with colleagues, or downloading a study requires an internet connection.
Multiple Devices
In some scenarios, it's possible that multiple users might be using the same probe or group of probes. Each of these users' mobile devices will need to connect to the internet every 30 days or less to continue using the probe.
When the Butterfly iQ App is updated, it may include firmware that will be installed on the probe when it is first plugged in following the update. This firmware update does not require internet access and can take between 15-90 seconds. If two mobile devices have different versions of the app, the probe will need to update firmware every time it switches between the two devices.
In the case of remote use, having one dedicated device associated with the Butterfly might be preferred. In that scenario, you can control the probe and mobile device's app versions, and connect them to the internet on a regular schedule.