The Swoop system was cleared by the FDA in August 2020, making it the first portable, ultra-low-field MR system that can provide imaging at multiple points of care. The magnet is 64 mT and the system is 59 inches tall and 33 inches wide, weighing about 1,400 pounds.

Once it's plugged in, it is ready to scan in less than two minutes and is capable of performing T1, T2, FLAIR, and DWI AI-powered imaging sequences. Since its introduction to the market, hospitals have adopted it for a range of uses.


UC Davis Health purchased its Swoop system in March 2022 to help diagnose traumatic brain injuries more quickly. The health system decided to go with a portable system because traditional fixed MR systems can be "inconvenient and inaccessible for providers and patients — particularly when time is critical."

Jefferson Abington Hospital in Pennsylvania purchased its system in June 2023 for the ICU. Since it's difficult to transport critically ill patients, the Swoop system allows them to perform brain imaging in the patient room.

The news announced today marks the first time the Swoop system will be used to assess astronauts. The Falcon 9 launched Polaris Dawn on September 10th at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the crew will spend up to five days in orbit.

“Given the historic aspects of the Polaris Dawn Mission including the highest achieved Earth orbit of 1400 km, with higher radiation exposure to the crew and the first commercial space walk, we are excited to be part of this mission,” said Roberts.

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