Christ Hospital in Jersey City is utilizing a new portable MRI technology for stroke and neurointerventional care known as Swoop.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
The world’s first point-of-care MR imaging system wheels directly to a patient, plugs into a standard electrical wall outlet, and is controlled through a wireless tablet.
Clinicians quickly capture images at the patient’s bedside, enabling critical decision-making. Additionally, the system reduces the need to transport patients to an imaging suite or separate patients from family members or caregivers during the procedure.
“We are so excited to be able to provide this cutting-edge diagnostic technology to Christ Hospital to improve patient outcomes and further increase our high standard of care,” CarePoint Health System President and CEO Dr. Achintya Moulick said in a statement.
“Being able to bring imaging technology directly to a patient’s bedside, regardless of where they are in the hospital, will give our patients and their families a higher level of comfort and convenience in stressful circumstances while also providing our doctors with fast, reliable diagnostic tests during the most critical moments.”
Traditional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses a magnetic field, radio waves, and a computer to produce detailed pictures of the body’s internal structures.
“What matters most to us at Christ Hospital is making sure every single one of our patients receives equal, quality, and top-of-the-line care when they visit our hospital and the Swoop MRI system will take us a step further by offering the latest innovation in safe, convenient, and easy-to-access technology,” noted Christ Hospital Chief Hospital Executive Marie Duffy.
“Swoop represents a major win for our community and for patients throughout Hudson County, and it will help build on the success Christ Hospital has already achieved in advancing Stroke Care.”
In some instances, these clear and detailed images are more likely to identify and accurately characterize disease than other imaging methods.
However, fixed conventional MRI systems can be inconvenient and inaccessible for providers and patients—particularly when time is critical.
Transporting patients to an MRI suite demands complicated scheduling coordination, moving patients, and, often, lengthy patient backlogs. These complications compromise the utility of MRI as a diagnostic tool in time-sensitive settings.
The Hyperfine Swoop Portable MR Imaging System was designed to address the limitations of current imaging technologies by providing accurate, accessible MR images without moving patients from the point of care.
“CarePoint Health is a thought-leading institution in New Jersey. Their adoption of the Swoop system will be a very beneficial addition to the hospital’s diagnostic toolset,” added Hyperfine Chief Medical Officer Dr. Khan Siddiqui.
“The system not only enables clinicians to provide excellent medical care quickly, but it also delivers a completely new, convenient, and comfortable MR imaging experience.”
CarePoint also owns the Bayonne Medical Center and the Hoboken University Medical Center.
