Quantum HealthCare appointed as ANZ distributor for new medical technology

MedTech News: Alfred Health Hospital in Australia is set to receive first-in-nation portable MRI systems for point-of-care brain scans.

US-based Hyperfine, creator of the Swoop Portable MR Imaging System, the world’s first US FDA-cleared portable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device, has completed registration and notification of the device in Australia and New Zealand.

With this activity, the Swoop system is now available for purchase in Australia and New Zealand and includes advanced reconstruction software using deep learning.

Hyperfine has appointed Quantum HealthCare, now part of Paragon Care, as the company’s distributor for Australia and New Zealand.

Quantum HealthCare General Manager, Tiffany Chiew, said “Quantum is very excited to be distributing Hyperfine’s mobile MRI technology in Australia and New Zealand. Together with the news of our recent merger with Paragon Care, we are optimistic about the acceptance and growth of Hyperfine’s innovative technology in the region.”

The Hyperfine Swoop system has been in use for research purposes at Alfred Health in Melbourne since mid-late 2021.

Professor Meng Law, Director of Radiology, Alfred Health, Director of integrated Biomedical Research in AI and Neuroimaging, Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, said “In the largest ICU in the southern hemisphere, point-of-care MR imaging has impacted the diagnosis and evaluation of intensive care patients in Melbourne. Reducing the staff and time needed in transporting very ill patients to the medical imaging department improves outcomes for patients. The point-of-care MRI also has the advantage of sparing patients from exposure to ionizing radiation. Alfred Health is committed to providing state-of-the-art care with the first institution in Australia to provide point-of-care MRI, CT, US, and X-ray in our ICU.”

Dave Scott, president and chief executive officer of Hyperfine, said “Australia and New Zealand have a population of 31 million people spread across a vast geographic area. Providing relevant and critical MR imaging services to people of these two countries is further challenged by the historical all-in-costs of conventional MRI systems. Swoop runs on regular wall power and is simple to use. The portable Hyperfine Swoop MRI system requires no special room build-outs and is available at the patient’s bedside, enabling new care scenarios. We have been excited to learn of the early success of Alfred Health and are excited about other upcoming sites deploying Swoop.”

The Australian National Imaging Facility (NIF) selected the Swoop system as an industry partner in a two-million-dollar project to provide state-of-the-art imaging capability for the Australian research community. NIF’s grid of imaging facilities is distributed across Australia, offering a range of leading-edge imaging instrumentation and expertise in the optimal use of imaging technology to the Australian research community.

“The Hyperfine scanners provide point-of-care imaging that has the potential to transform access to MRI in rural and remote communities in Australia. Our project aims to expand their applications using artificial intelligence and improve accessibility to this potentially life-saving medical imaging technology for patients living in rural and remote areas,” said Professor Gary Egan, Director of Monash Biomedical Imaging in Melbourne, Australia.