TL;DR
DESKi has launched HeartFocus Link, an AI-guided cardiac imaging product that connects via tablet and HDMI to any cart-based ultrasound system. The FDA-cleared software, previously available only on Butterfly Network handheld devices, targets the growing sonographer shortage that leaves 92% of eligible hospitalised patients without echocardiography.
HeartFocus, the AI-powered cardiac imaging software developed by French medtech company DESKi, has launched HeartFocus Link, a product that connects a tablet to any cart-based ultrasound system through a simple HDMI setup. The tablet runs HeartFocus’s AI guidance software alongside the live ultrasound image, delivering real-time probe positioning instructions to help clinicians and trainees capture diagnostic-quality cardiac views.
The launch matters because it removes HeartFocus from a single hardware ecosystem. Until now, the software was available only on Butterfly Network’s handheld ultrasound devices, which limited its reach to institutions that had already bought those specific probes. HeartFocus Link works with the cart-based machines that hospitals and training programmes already own.
How it works
HeartFocus Link supports 10 standard transthoracic echocardiographic views and uses a patented 3D guidance system that superimposes probe positioning instructions directly onto the live ultrasound image. The overlay reduces cognitive load by keeping the user’s eyes on a single screen rather than switching between a reference guide and the ultrasound monitor.
Two additional features target training environments specifically. Auto Record captures image clips automatically when predefined quality thresholds are met, removing the manual step of saving frames during practice. A real-time quality scoring system provides immediate feedback, giving trainees an objective measure of image quality rather than relying solely on instructor assessment.
The product is available now for medical schools, residency programmes, and ultrasound training institutions. DESKi says clinical deployment on cart-based systems will follow as the company joins a growing cohort of AI-powered cardiac imaging startups pursuing FDA pathways for broader clinical use.
The sonographer shortage driving demand
HeartFocus is targeting a quantifiable gap in cardiac care. Between 2011 and 2021, demand for ultrasound examinations in the US surged 55%, from 38.6 million to 59.8 million, while the sonographer workforce grew by only 44%. Educational capacity expanded by just 23% over the same period, meaning the pipeline of new sonographers is not keeping pace with retirements, let alone rising demand.
The consequences are measurable. Echocardiography is performed on only 8% of eligible hospitalised patients, despite clinical evidence that it reduces mortality and improves outcomes. Sonographer vacancy rates reached 16.7% in 2023 before improving slightly to 12.4% in 2025.
AI-guided imaging tools like HeartFocus aim to bridge that gap by enabling non-specialist clinicians to capture usable cardiac images after hours of training rather than months. In research presented at the American College of Cardiology conference, novice users working with HeartFocus achieved greater than 85% agreement with expert assessment of echocardiographic parameters.
A small company with FDA clearance and a growing ecosystem
DESKi was founded in 2016 by brothers Bertrand and Olivier Moal. Bertrand, a medical doctor with a PhD in biomechanical engineering, serves as CEO. Olivier holds engineering degrees from Berkeley and EPFL. The company is based in Bordeaux and raised a $6 million seed round in mid-2025 led by Racine², an impact fund managed by Serena and Makesense, with participation from BNP Paribas Développement.
HeartFocus received FDA clearance in April 2025, along with a Predetermined Change Control Plan that allows DESKi to update the software’s AI algorithms without going through full regulatory review each time. The company’s algorithms are trained on more than 10 million data points. DESKi is one of a cluster of French health-tech startups building AI tools that have found early traction in the US market.
In April 2026, HeartFocus partnered with Inteleos, a global healthcare certification body, to launch the first AI cardiac point-of-care ultrasound certification. The credential gives clinicians and institutions a way to demonstrate verified competency in AI-assisted cardiac imaging, an important step as hospitals begin formalising governance around AI tools in clinical settings.
Competitive landscape and limitations
HeartFocus is not the only company pursuing AI-guided cardiac ultrasound. UltraSight, an Israeli startup, received its own FDA clearance to expand AI-guided echocardiography across ultrasound systems. The broader health-tech market is seeing rapid convergence between AI software, sensor hardware, and clinical workflows, with companies from smart ring makers to cardiac imaging startups competing for clinician adoption.
HeartFocus Link’s HDMI-based approach is pragmatic but carries trade-offs. It provides AI guidance as an overlay rather than integrating directly into the ultrasound system’s software stack, which means it cannot access or process the raw ultrasound data stream. That limits the depth of analysis the AI can perform compared to a fully integrated solution.
DESKi’s $6 million in funding is also modest relative to the scale of the problem it is addressing. Competing against larger medical imaging companies with deeper distribution networks will require either significant commercial traction or a strategic partnership with one of the major ultrasound manufacturers. The Butterfly Network relationship provides a foothold, but like other clinical AI startups navigating the gap between FDA clearance and widespread adoption, DESKi’s challenge is converting regulatory approval into sustained revenue.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
