GUILFORD, Conn. and MOOSE FACTORY, Ontario, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hyperfine, Inc. (Nasdaq:HYPR), creator of Swoop®, the first FDA-cleared portable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system™, is proud to announce that Queen's University and Kingston Health Sciences Centre are deploying a Swoop system as part of their health services benefitting six communities located in the James Bay and Hudson Bay Area. Until now, patients needing routine or emergent care required transportation by medical charter flight hundreds of miles away to either Timmins or Kingston, ON. Queen’s University intends to utilize Swoop as part of a study to build evidence regarding the utility and affordability of a portable point of care (POC) MRI in a remote setting.

Queen’s University is situated on traditional Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee territory and provides medical services to a predominantly Indigenous population in the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) in Northern Ontario. Members of remote communities such as these have been limited by proximity to medical centers and at the mercy of dangerous weather conditions putting undue constraints on the individual, especially those who are critically ill or unstable.

“Until recently, the technology for portable point of care imaging has not existed—resulting in inequitable access to healthcare and putting people at great risk simply due to their geographical limitations,” said Khan Siddiqui, M.D., chief medical officer and chief strategy officer of Hyperfine. “Swoop® was designed to enable rapid diagnoses and treatment for every patient regardless of income, resources, or location, pushing the boundaries of conventional imaging technology and expanding patient access to life-saving care.”

Instead of transporting the patient to the MRI, Swoop can be delivered directly to the patient, eliminating long wait times and other difficulties with transporting patients. The Swoop system also has a lower field strength than a traditional MRI which greatly shortens the screening protocol for patients, allowing clinicians to quickly scan, diagnose and treat patients within crowded healthcare environments like emergency rooms (ERs), operating rooms (ORs), and intensive care units (ICUs).

Swoop results are displayed on a tablet and deliver crisp, clear T1, T2, FLAIR, and DWI (with ADC map) tissue contrasts within minutes before uploading the scans to local PACS (Picture Archive and Communications System). The image quality resulting from this innovative approach elevates the diagnostic value of portable MRI and enables Swoop to deliver crisp, clear images within minutes.

“Point of care MR imaging is a revolutionary advance that offers the potential to truly democratize healthcare by eliminating the need for risky patient transports and enabling earlier diagnosis” said Dr. Omar Islam, Principal Investigator and Department Head of Diagnostic Radiology, Queen’s University. “With the addition of the Swoop system we are now able to extend timely neuroimaging care to Indigenous communities who have historically experienced limited access to medical resources here in Canada’s remote northern regions. We’re truly optimistic about the potential impact this new technology will create and look forward to sharing our findings as a model for other rural patient populations to follow.”

Hyperfine recently announced its medical device license issued by Health Canada as well as the commercial launch of the imaging system available for purchase in Canada. Hyperfine’s Canadian expansion is continued validation of its cutting-edge, deep learning technology and supports the company’s growth plans for commercial expansion bringing greater access to advanced MR imaging globally.


About Hyperfine and the Swoop Portable MRI System
Hyperfine, Inc. is the groundbreaking medical device company that created Swoop, the world’s first FDA-cleared portable MRI system. Hyperfine designed Swoop to enable rapid diagnosis and treatment of all patients regardless of income, resources, or location, pushing the boundaries of conventional imaging technology and expanding patient access to life-saving care. The Swoop Portable MR Imaging System produces high-quality images at a lower magnetic field strength, allowing clinicians to quickly scan, diagnose and treat patients in various point of care clinical settings. Swoop can be wheeled directly to the patient’s bedside, plugged into a standard electrical wall outlet, and controlled by a tablet. Designed as a complementary system to conventional MRIs at a fraction of the cost, Swoop captures images in minutes, providing critical decision-making capabilities in emergency departments, operating rooms, and intensive care units, among others.