Butterfly iQ vs Clarius: Two Approaches to Handheld Ultrasound
The two handheld names Malaysian clinicians ask about most are built on different ideas — one probe for everything, or a dedicated wireless scanner for each job. How they differ and how to test them on your own exams.
Two different design ideas
Butterfly Network (USA) and Clarius Mobile Health (Canada) both sell handheld ultrasound that uses a phone or tablet as the screen. This page is a neutral orientation — not a ranking, and not a list of products we carry. Both makers update their hardware and apps regularly, so confirm details against the current spec sheet and device-compatibility list.
| Butterfly iQ | Clarius | |
|---|---|---|
| Transducer | One probe built on a semiconductor chip (“ultrasound-on-chip”) instead of a conventional piezoelectric crystal array | Separate scanners, each built around one conventional array type |
| Probe choice | The same probe covers deep and superficial presets | Convex, linear, phased array, endocavity and other models, including some dual-head scanners — you buy the ones your exams need |
| Connection | Cable to a supported phone or tablet | Wireless link to the app on a supported phone or tablet |
| The pitch | One device in the pocket for whole-body point-of-care scanning | A scanner matched to each exam, with no cable to the screen |
Image quality: what to test in a demo
A single broadband probe is convenient but has to stretch from tendon to liver; a dedicated scanner is optimised for one depth range. Neither approach wins everywhere, so test the exams that matter to you, side by side, on the same patients.
- Superficial detail — thyroid, a tendon or a forearm vein — compared with a dedicated high-frequency linear scanner.
- Penetration in a larger patient — liver, kidney and gallbladder at depth.
- Cardiac views, if you need them: compare a phased-array scanner with the single probe’s cardiac preset.
- Lung and FAST views, if you work in emergency or ICU.
- Needle visibility at the angles you use for vascular access, joint injections or nerve blocks.
- Colour Doppler sensitivity and frame rate, and how the probe behaves once it warms up during a long scan.
Apps, memberships and the real cost
Both makers sell the hardware with an app, and tie some features, cloud storage or education tools to a paid membership or subscription. Plan names, prices and what each tier includes change, so get the terms in writing for the configuration you are quoted.
- Which functions work with no membership at all, and which stop if a membership lapses.
- Whether the membership is priced per user, per device or per team.
- Which measurement, calculation and AI-assisted tools are included in the tier quoted.
- With a one-scanner-per-exam range, the cost of each extra scanner as your exam list grows.
- Warranty length, what counts as accidental damage, and how a faulty probe is replaced.
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Day-to-day practicalities
Cable or wireless
A cabled probe needs no wireless pairing, but the cord runs between the device and the patient, which matters in a sterile field. A wireless scanner keeps the field clear but has to pair with the device, and a crowded Wi-Fi environment can interfere.
Battery and charging
Ask for continuous scan time, charging time and whether a spare battery can be swapped in during a busy session — the answer differs between makers and models.
Patient data
Images can sit on the device, in the maker’s cloud or both. Ask where the cloud data is hosted, how users log in, and whether DICOM export to your PACS is included — your process must meet the Personal Data Protection Act 2010.
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Which approach suits which user
| Your situation | Points towards |
|---|---|
| One clinician who wants one device for many focused exams | A single whole-body probe |
| Procedures in a sterile field | A wireless scanner, so no cable crosses the field |
| Detailed superficial work — MSK, aesthetics, small parts | A dedicated high-frequency linear scanner |
| Regular cardiac POCUS | Compare a phased-array scanner with the single probe’s cardiac preset |
| Full diagnostic studies with measurements and reports | A laptop or cart system, with a handheld as a second device |
Read next Laptop vs handheld vs wirelessUltrasound brands in Malaysia
Related guides
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Frequently asked questions
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Can one Butterfly probe replace convex, linear and phased probes?
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