CHAPEL HILL, N.C. —The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is proud to announce that physicians within our program have developed a novel artificial intelligence–enabled ultrasound technology that has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The technology, invented by Drs. Jeffrey Stringer, Ben Pokaprakarn, and Juan Prieto, enables estimation of fetal gestational age from standardized “blind sweep” ultrasound videos without the need for expert image acquisition or interpretation. The innovation was licensed by the university to Butterfly Network, which has incorporated the technology into its ultrasound platform.
This milestone represents a significant advance in the use of artificial intelligence to expand access to essential obstetric care. By removing the requirement for highly trained sonographers and specialized imaging techniques, the technology enables accurate pregnancy dating in settings where conventional ultrasound services are limited or unavailable.
The underlying technology, developed at UNC, is already in research use across 12 countries, supporting global maternal health programs in resource-constrained environments. The FDA clearance now enables clinical deployment in the United States, where it has the potential to improve access to obstetric ultrasound in rural and underserved areas, including regions identified as maternity care deserts.
“This milestone reflects years of work to rethink how obstetric ultrasound can be delivered,” said Dr. Jeffrey Stringer, Clarke-Pearson Distinguished Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UNC. “Our goal has been to decouple image acquisition from interpretation, making high-quality obstetric assessment accessible far beyond traditional care settings.”
This essential regulatory clearance underscores UNC’s role in advancing translational research that addresses critical gaps in healthcare delivery, both globally and within the United States.
See related articles on Business Wire and Butterfly Network.
Learn about the UNC Fetal Age Machine Learning Initiative with AI.