Hackensack Meridian JFK University Medical Center is the first hospital in New Jersey to operate a new portable MRI that can be wheeled to the bedside of critically ill patients.
The world’s first portable MRI called Swoop enables clinicians to obtain neurological images of critically ill patients at the point of care quickly and conveniently, according to information provided by Hackensack Meridian Health.
The Swoop Portable MR Imaging System is made by Hyperfine Research.
“JFK University Medical Center prides itself on being at the leading edge of defining new standards of care for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke and neurovascular conditions,” said Amie Thornton, chief hospital executive, JFK University Medical Center, in a statement released by Hackensack Meridian. “Introducing Swoop portable MRI is the latest example of our commitment to providing our patients with the most technologically and clinically advanced care available anywhere.”
“As one of the top stroke and neurovascular centers in the state, we are so very proud to be the first in New Jersey and one of the early adopters in the US, to utilize this MRI technology,”said Siddhart K. Mehta, M.D., Stroke and Neurovascular Center, JFK University Medical Center, said in the statement. “Our mission is to provide an outstanding level of comprehensive and specialized inpatient and outpatient care to patients who have neurovascular disease. With this technology, we are furthering our mission to provide a coordinated approach with the use of the most current and effective treatments and technology.”
Unlike traditional MRIs, Swoop was intentionally designed with technology that is usable in intensive care units and other hospital rooms where metal objects are common, making the experience more convenient for patients and providers, according to the statement.
“It is very exciting to bring Hyperfine to JFK,” Blake Caplan, administrative director, Neuroscience Institute at JFK University Medical Center, said in the statement. “The ability to bring MRI to the bedside will help our center elevate the level of care and solve a number of logistical problems legacy solutions present.”
Some of the potential advantages of mobile MRI include:
- Scanning patients in the Emergency Department, decreasing wait times and speeding diagnosis
- Scanning COVID-19 patients at the bedside, decreasing the risks of transporting infectious patients through the hospital
- Improved monitoring of patients in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit as they recover
“We are proud to be working with JFK Neuroscience Institute and its certified comprehensive stroke center at JFK University Medical Center to bring this category-defining technology to the people of New Jersey,” Dr. Khan Siddiqui, chief medical officer of Hyperfine, said in the statement. “The institute’s adoption of Swoop delivers a new diagnostic tool for essential, timely action in complex medical cases such as stroke, and will enable clinicians to enhance the excellent quality of patient care that JFK is known for.”