Hyperfine, Inc. (Nasdaq: HYPR), the groundbreaking medical device company that has redefined brain imaging with the world’s first FDA-cleared, portable, ultra-low-field, magnetic resonance brain imaging system—the Swoop® system—today announced initial findings from the multicenter observational study Assessing Brain Injury Using Portable Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients With Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.
The primary investigator of the study, which explored the use of portable MR brain images in assessing acute brain injury (ABI) in 46 adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) patients at two major US medical institutions, presented the results on November 2, 2023, at the APELSO 2023 meeting.
ECMO patients are typically unable to be transported to the conventional high-field MRI suite due to their unstable condition. The study evaluated the feasibility of using portable MR brain imaging for monitoring patients during ECMO use, highlighting its potential advantage in providing early visualization of ischemic stroke compared to computerized tomography (CT) scans.
The initial findings of this study demonstrate the feasibility of using portable MR brain imaging with adult ECMO patients. It concludes that the incidence of acute brain injury was high, with ischemic stroke being the most common type of injury. The study further underscores the role of MR-based neuroimaging in ABI detection and the potential for allowing improvement in neurological outcomes.
“This study signals the potential benefit of portable MR brain imaging over conventional CT scans during ECMO, especially in detecting early ischemic injuries,” said Edmond A. Knopp, MD, Hyperfine, Inc. vice president of medical affairs. “This may be particularly important when you consider mortality rates due to acute brain injury in ECMO patients and emphasizes the need for early and accurate neuromonitoring.”
“The study’s findings are very encouraging, especially as they relate to the benefits of using the Swoop® portable brain imaging system for early assessment of acute brain injury in patients being treated with ECMO. Without the Swoop® system, these patients, who are too unstable to transport, would not have access to the benefits of MR brain imaging,” said Maria Sainz, Hyperfine, Inc. president and CEO.
“This data further supports yet another use case for the Swoop® system where timely access to MR brain imaging for patients and their clinical teams can make a profound impact on mitigating care delays.”
