Summary:

• Royal Perth Hospital uses an innovative portable MRI system to enhance patient comfort and safety, reducing the stress and isolation associated with conventional MRI scans.
• Prof. Paul Parizel highlights the risks of transporting patients for conventional MRI scans.

As many know, the conventional high-field MRI experience can be stressful and isolating. At Royal Perth Hospital in Perth, Australia, an innovative research device is changing the narrative—a portable MRI system that comes right to the patient’s bedside. As Jordan Cutts of 7 News Perth reveals, Royal Perth is among only two hospitals in Australia that have one.

"It's all done by the iPad, which is pretty handy," shared Sandy Noronha, MRI technician at Royal Perth Hospital, showcasing the portable MRI system's ease of maneuvering through the hospital.

Jordan Cutts of 7 News Perth reports, "Unlike the traditional bulky [MRI] scanner, [the Swoop^_® system] brings the equipment to your bedside. It's faster—also easier for critically ill patients with tubes and machines."

Royal Perth Hospital David Hartley Chair of Radiology Prof. Paul Parizel highlights the potential dangers of moving critically ill patients for imaging with a conventional MRI scanner, "There's a risk with transporting them—there's a risk with putting them in."

"There's an ongoing joke in most MRI departments where you'd get a request that would say portable MRI, and everyone would joke and say that's not possible, but now we actually have one," said Sandy Noronha.

Watch the full video here. We also invite you to explore our website to learn more about the benefits of the Hyperfine, Inc. Swoop^_® Portable MR Imaging^_® system.