Hyperfine Builds Momentum in Year One of Neurology Office Launch with NEURO PMR Publication and More Than 3,000 Scans
Hyperfine, Inc. the groundbreaking health technology company that has redefined brain imaging with the first FDA-cleared AI-powered portable MRI system for the brain—the Swoop® system—today announced the peer-reviewed publication of the NEURO PMR study in the Journal of Neuroimaging. The publication comes as real-world use of the Swoop system continues to grow, with more than 3,000 brain MRI scans completed across a broad range of physician practices within the first year of Hyperfine’s office-market launch.
NEURO PMR, or Neurological Evaluation in the Office with Portable MR, is the first prospective, multicenter, real-world study to evaluate the clinical performance and patient experience of portable MRI compared with high-field MRI in outpatient neurology clinics. With respect to clinical performance, portable MRI demonstrated 92% concordance with high-field MRI in identifying the presence or absence of structural abnormality in blinded neuroradiology review, and 98% with clinical information. In addition, patients preferred portable MRI over high-field MRI by a four-to-one margin, rating it superior on all dimensions assessed in the study, including comfort, anxiety, claustrophobia, noise and overall experience.
Point-of-care brain imaging is an important part of the future of outpatient neurology,” said Laszlo Mechtler, MD, President of DENT Neurologic Institute, past president of the American Society of Neuroimaging, and principal investigator of the NEURO PMR study. “Portable MRI brings imaging directly to the clinic, giving neurologists diagnostic information sooner, offering patients a more comfortable experience, and enabling an efficient and economical care model. As access to on-site imaging expands, I believe it can become a routine part of neurological practice.
Because in-office MRI is rare in neurology practices, most rely on external imaging referrals that can fragment the diagnostic process and delay clinical decision-making. Unlike conventional high-field MRI, the Swoop system fits in a standard exam room without specialized shielding, runs on standard electrical power, and can be operated by any trained clinical staff. These advantages create a practical and accessible point-of-care imaging model for independent practices.
Real-world use of the Swoop system now spans across diverse types of outpatient practices, including general neurology, headache specialists, memory clinics, pediatric neurology offices, concierge medicine, and longevity clinics. Physicians are using portable brain MRI to support neurological evaluation and disease surveillance while providing patients with more timely access to imaging in a familiar and convenient environment.
Beyond established clinical applications, greater access to brain MRI may support emerging applications in proactive brain health. “Neurology is moving toward a more proactive model of care,” said Madhureeta Achari, MD, principal neurologist at Integrated Neurology and past president of the Texas Neurological Society. “Having brain MRI available in the practice creates the opportunity to establish a baseline and evaluate meaningful change over time, rather than relying solely on a single snapshot after symptoms emerge.”
One year into our office-market launch, we are seeing meaningful early commercial traction. More than 3,000 in-office brain MRI scans demonstrate real-world utilization and workflow fit, while the NEURO PMR results show strong clinical value and patient acceptance,” said Chi Nguyen, Senior Vice President of Office & Community Business at Hyperfine. “But we are just at the beginning. The Swoop system is taking brain MRI where it has not been before, beyond hospitals and imaging centers, and closer to where patients receive their everyday care. By making brain MRI more accessible, Hyperfine is helping redefine the role imaging can play in lifelong brain health
About the Swoop® Portable MRI Systems
The Swoop® Portable MR Imaging® Systems are U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared for brain imaging of patients of all ages. They are portable, ultra-low-field magnetic resonance imaging devices for producing images that display the internal structure of the head where full diagnostic examination is not clinically practical. When interpreted by a trained physician, these images provide information that can be useful in determining a diagnosis.
About Hyperfine, Inc.
Hyperfine, Inc. is the groundbreaking health technology company that has redefined brain imaging with the Swoop® system—the first FDA-cleared, portable, ultra-low-field, magnetic resonance brain imaging system capable of providing imaging at multiple points of professional care. The mission of Hyperfine, Inc. is to revolutionize patient care globally through transformational, accessible, clinically relevant diagnostic imaging. Founded by Dr. Jonathan Rothberg in a technology-based incubator called 4Catalyzer, Hyperfine, Inc. scientists, engineers, and physicists developed the Swoop system out of a passion for redefining brain imaging methodology and how clinicians can apply accessible diagnostic imaging to patient care.
