June 13, 2023 — Hyperfine, Inc. (Nasdaq: HYPR), the groundbreaking medical device company that created the Swoop system, the world’s first FDA-cleared portable magnetic resonance brain imaging system, is proud to be the first magnetic resonance imaging technology partner in an education-centric collaboration between the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The ISMRM, a non-profit organization, has long promoted MR research and its translation into clinical practice, fostering dialogue among scientific and clinical professionals and driving the development and application of MR techniques. Under the newly formed collaboration, the ISMRM aims to enhance global access to MR imaging and knowledge. The goal is to address the disparities in MR access and utilization by providing local neuroimaging capabilities in low- and medium-income countries (LIMC) by enabling access to ISMRM’s educational programs and establishing a global mentorship program for LIMC clinicians.
A critical component of the ISMRM’s initiative involves the deployment of MR brain imaging equipment, made possible by an existing partnership between Hyperfine, Inc. and the UNITY project, a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-funded initiative allowing leading researchers to study environmental factors affecting early brain development, focusing on neurodevelopment patterns in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The Hyperfine, Inc., Swoop Portable MR Imaging system will play a vital role in revolutionizing global access to brain imaging technology. Through the UNITY project, Hyperfine, Inc. has already deployed Swoop systems in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Pakistan, South Africa, and Uganda.
The first significant initiative of the ISMRM-Gates Foundation partnership, “The Toronto 100,” involves funding for one hundred participants, including members of the UNITY project and the newly formed Africa chapter of the ISMRM, to attend this year’s annual ISMRM meeting in Toronto. Each participant will pair with a long-term mentor who will lend expertise, guidance, and support throughout the participant’s MR career journey. Three Hyperfine, Inc. team members will lend their expertise to this initiative as mentors, including Chief Medical Officer and Chief Strategy Officer Khan Siddiqui, MD, Senior Research Scientists Megan Poorman, PhD, and Francesco Padormo, PhD.
“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,” said ISMRM Vice President Derek Jones. “Their portable brain imaging system will be an invaluable resource in enhancing the efforts of our international community.”
“We at Hyperfine, Inc. are incredibly honored to work side by side with luminaries in the field and contribute to this transformative global initiative with our Swoop Portable MR Imaging system,” says Dr. Khan Siddiqui. “Our technology was designed with a vision 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 potentially profound impact this project will have on global patient care.”
For more information: https://hyperfine.io/
May 29, 2024 
