Hyperfine Working With International Organization to Improve MR Education Access

Hyperfine Inc. is the first magnetic resonance imaging technology partner to forge an education-centric collaboration with the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM), supported by funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
 
The non-profit ISMRM has long promoted MR research and its translation into clinical practice by fostering dialogue among scientific and clinical professionals and driving the development and application of MR techniques. Under this new collaboration, the ISMRM aims to enhance global access to MR imaging and knowledge. The goal is to address disparities in MR access and utilization by providing local neuroimaging capabilities in low- and medium-income countries (LMIC) by enabling access to ISMRM’s educational programs and establishing a global mentorship program for LMIC clinicians.

“The ISMRM’s collaboration with Hyperfine, Inc. is a significant milestone in our efforts to level the playing field and to democratize access to MR imaging,” ISMRM Vice President Derek Jones said. “Their portable brain imaging system will be an invaluable resource in enhancing the efforts of our international community.”
 
A critical component of the ISMRM’s initiative involves deploying MR brain imaging equipment, made possible by an existing partnership between Hyperfine Inc. and the UNITY project, an initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that allows  researchers to study environmental factors affecting early brain development, focusing on neurodevelopment patterns in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Hyperfine’s Swoop Portable MR Imaging system will play a key role in revolutionizing global access to brain imaging technology. Through the UNITY project, Hyperfine has already deployed Swoop systems in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Pakistan, South Africa, and Uganda.
 
The first significant initiative of the ISMRM partnership, “The Toronto 100,” involves funding for 100 participants—including UNITY project members and the ISMRM’s newly formed Africa chapter—to attend this year’s annual ISMRM meeting in Toronto. Each participant will pair with a long-term mentor for expertise, guidance, and support throughout the participant’s MR career journey. Three Hyperfine team members will participate as mentors, including Chief Medical Officer and Chief Strategy Officer Khan Siddiqui, M.D.; Senior Research Scientists Megan Poorman, Ph.D., and Francesco Padormo, Ph.D. 
 
“We are honored to work side by side with luminaries in the field and contribute to this global initiative with our Swoop Portable MR Imaging system,” Siddiqui stated. “Our technology was designed to transform access to MR imaging. We believe the Swoop system, with its portability and affordability, will play a pivotal role in this project, particularly in regions where access to MR imaging has traditionally been limited. Our partnerships with the ISMRM and the UNITY project emphasize our shared commitment to reducing the access gap, and we look forward to witnessing the impact this project will have on global patient care.”
  
Hyperfine Inc. created the Swoop system, the world’s first U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared portable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system that provides brain imaging at the point of care. The Swoop system received initial FDA clearance in 2020 as a bedside magnetic resonance imaging device for producing images that display the head’s internal structure when full diagnostic examination is not clinically practical. These images can help determine a diagnosis. The Swoop system has been approved for brain imaging in several countries, including Canada and Australia, has UKCA certification in the United Kingdom, CE certification in the European Union, and is also available in New Zealand.
 
Founded by Dr. Jonathan Rothberg in a technology-based incubator (4Catalyzer), Hyperfine developed the Swoop system to redefine brain imaging methodology and the ways in which clinicians can apply accessible diagnostic imaging to patient care. Traditionally, access to costly, stationary, conventional MRI technology can be inconvenient or not available when needed most. With the portable, ultra-low-field Swoop system, Hyperfine is redefining the neuroimaging workflow by bringing brain imaging to the patient’s bedside.