Portable pocket-sized ultrasound scanner for the evaluation of lung involvement in COVID-19 patients

Abstract Ultrasound imaging of the lung (LUS) and associated tissues has demonstrated clinical utility in COVID-19 patients. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possibilities of a portable pocket-sized ultrasound scanner in the evaluation of lung involvement in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. We conducted 437 paired readings in 34 LUS evaluations on hospitalized patients with COVID-19. The lung ultrasound scans were performed on the same day with a standard high-end ultrasound scanner (Venue GO™, GE Healthcare, Chicago, IL, USA) and a pocket-sized ultrasound scanner (Butterfly iQ, Butterfly Network Inc., Guilford, CT, USA). 14/34 scans were performed on severe, 11 on moderate and 9 on mild patients. No difference in days since onset of symptoms was observed between groups (23.29 ± 10.07, 22.91 ± 8.91, 28.56 ± 11.13 days, respectively, p=0.38). No significant differences were found between LUS scores obtained with the high-end and the portable pocket-sized ultrasound scanner. LUS scores in patients with mild respiratory impairment were significantly lower than in moderate and severe patients. Our study confirms the possibilities of portable pocket-sized ultrasound imaging of the lung in COVID-19 patients. Portable pocket-sized ultrasound scanners are cheap, easy to handle and equivalent to standard scanners for non-invasive assessment of severity and dynamic observation of lung lesions in COVID-19 patients.