Burlington MA and Manhattan, KS, April 30, 2025 – The Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University and Butterfly Network, Inc. (NYSE: BFLY), a digital health company transforming care with portable, semiconductor-based ultrasound technology and intuitive software, today announced an agreement to co-develop a Cattle Disease Management App for exclusive use with Butterfly’s handheld, whole-body ultrasound system. The collaboration represents K-State’s entry into Butterfly Garden, Butterfly’s artificial intelligence (AI) Marketplace as the first App in Butterfly Garden for Animal Health.
This initiative aims to equip veterinarians and producers with an AI-powered tool for diagnostic and prognostic decision-making, starting with Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD). The app will integrate innovative lung ultrasound techniques pioneered by K-State's Beef Cattle Institute and tested with the Butterfly iQ+ Vet device. BRD is the leading and most costly disease in post-weaned beef cattle, responsible for over $2 billion in annual economic losses due to morbidity, mortality, and production inefficiencies. Accurate diagnosis is challenging due to overlapping symptoms among syndromes, and timely identification of disease progression is critical for effective treatment and management decisions.
“Bovine respiratory disease is a challenging syndrome and the ability to provide additional information on each case can be valuable to animal health decision makers,” said Brad White, K-State Beef Cattle Institute Director. “The opportunity to gain more information has to be balanced with the ability to efficiently and effectively assess cattle disease state in a field setting.”
By providing real-time diagnostic insights, the AI-solution aims to improve antimicrobial stewardship, animal welfare, and operational efficiency in diverse cattle-handling environments. Butterfly’s handheld ultrasound device was identified as the best-fit imaging platform for these environments due to its unmatched durability – designed to withstand the rigors of chute-side environments (e.g., dust, dirt, drops or fluctuating temperatures).
“Kansas State University entrance in Butterfly Garden exemplifies how Butterfly’s technology and AI Marketplace can drive meaningful innovation beyond traditional healthcare,” said Jenna Mutch, Vice President, Veterinary at Butterfly Network. “By combining cutting-edge imaging technology with Kansas State’s expertise in bovine health, we aim to equip producers and veterinarians with real-time tools to improve cattle health outcomes and drive sustainable practices in livestock management.”
To learn more about Butterfly and BCI’s research collaborations and the prognostic value of POCUS in cattle treated for respiratory disease, click here to read about recent studies.
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