The Swoop® system is a first-of-its-kind portable, ultra-low-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device for point-of-care settings such as intensive care units, emergency departments, mobile stroke units and resource-limited environments.
Developed by Hyperfine Research, a medical technology company based in the US, the system is suitable for general brain imaging, headaches, stroke, non-specific muscular weakness and encephalopathy. It can monitor coronavirus (Covid-19) patients, who are known to be at risk of neurological disorders.
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In April 2021, the Aga Khan University’s Medical College in Karachi, Pakistan, became the first country in Asia to acquire the portable Swoop MRI system. The system was installed at UC Davis Health in Northern California in the US in March 2022 for diagnosing traumatic brain injuries, followed by its introduction at Jefferson Abington Hospital in Pennsylvania in June 2023.
The Swoop system is available in various markets including the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and Israel, as well as in New Zealand, India, Pakistan and Haiti. In Europe, it is available in Norway, France, Germany, Italy and Poland, in addition to Romania, Türkiye, Spain and Sweden.
Swoop portable MRI system approvals
Swoop received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for MRI of the brain and head of patients of all ages, including patients from birth to two years, in August 2020.
The approval came after user feedback and technology advancements had been incorporated into the original device, which was cleared in February 2020.
The FDA cleared Hyperfine’s deep learning image analysis software, Advanced AI Applications, in January 2021. The image analysis software measures brain structure and pathology in images acquired by the Swoop MRI system.
The additional clearance made the system a true bedside MRI platform, supporting efficient clinical decision-making for assessing brain health and injury. The FDA also granted clearance for the updated AI-powered software of the Swoop system to improve diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) significantly.
The update expands Hyperfine’s AI denoising capabilities within the system, incorporating advanced image post-processing specifically into the DWI sequence. Previously utilised for sequences such as T1, T2 and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), this AI feature now enhances the clarity of images, potentially improving clinicians’ ability to diagnose, treat and monitor patients undergoing brain imaging.
Hyperfine also achieved CE certification under the EU Medical Device Regulation and obtained UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) certification in the UK for the latest hardware and eighth-generation AI-powered software in 2023.
Swoop system software upgrades
Hyperfine received FDA clearance for the Optive AI™ software for existing Swoop system customers in the US in May 2025, following which the software was commercially launched in July.
The Optive AI software modifies multiple stages of the imaging workflow for the Swoop system, including noise reduction, image capture, reconstruction and post-processing. It was developed to provide improved image quality, functionality and ease of use for clinical brain imaging.
Hyperfine gained FDA clearance for the Swoop® system integrated with the Optive AI software in June 2025.
In September 2025, Hyperfine secured CE marking and UKCA approval for the Optive AI software.
An update to the Optive AI software comprising a new multi-direction DWI software sequence was approved by the FDA in December 2025.
In mid-2026, Hyperfine received CE certification in Europe and UKCA certification in the UK for the next-generation Optive AI software.
The latest Optive AI software update received FDA clearance to provide improved image quality in critical clinical environments in August 2026.
The latest update introduced an isotropic T1-weighted sequence for high-resolution 3D visualisation. Because its data voxels are perfectly equal in all dimensions, clinicians can rotate brain scans across any plane (axial, sagittal, or coronal) with uniform detail, enabling precise volumetric tracking for multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease.
To ensure clarity, the update integrated advanced AI noise cancellation across all sequences, filtering out heavy electromagnetic interference in intensive care units and emergency rooms. Additionally, new interactive guided workflows provide real-time user assistance for quick patient positioning, significantly speeding up bedside imaging workflows.
Details and specifications of Hyperfine’s Swoop
Swoop is a lightweight, compact, easily movable portable MRI system measuring 140cm high and 86cm wide.
Weighing 630kg, the system can be transported on wheels and easily moved through standard doorways and elevators. It can be wheeled directly to the patient’s bedside, plugged into a standard electrical wall outlet and controlled through an easy-to-use wireless tablet such as a 12.9in Apple iPad®.
Its portability allows healthcare providers to bring MRI capabilities to emergency departments, intensive care units and rural or underserved locations where access to traditional MRI machines may be limited.
The magnet design and field strength of 0.064 Tesla reduce exposure risk for staff, patients and family members.
Designed to complement standard MRI systems, Swoop lets new users receive training in device navigation, operation and safety in just 30 minutes, allowing clinicians to streamline workflow.
Swoop portable MRI system features
The system features in-built noise cancellation technology that maps and adjusts for high electromagnetic interference in the environment, resulting in crisp, clear T1-weighted, T2-weighted, DWI and FLAIR sequences.
One of the key features of the Swoop system is its simplicity and ease of use.
The system is operated through an intuitive touchscreen interface, making it accessible to healthcare professionals with minimal training.
The scanning process can be initiated quickly, and the system guides users through the necessary steps to acquire high-quality images.
Its portability eliminates the need for patient transportation, reducing delays in diagnosis and treatment.
The Swoop system is designed to be energy-efficient, consuming significantly less power than traditional MRI machines.
The reduced power requirement not only lowers operating costs but also minimises the environmental impact associated with energy consumption.
Advanced AI applications details
Advanced AI applications form part of Swoop’s standard software package, supporting decision-making and ensuring rapid feedback for diagnostic insight.
The applications use tools for measurement including automated ventricular volume measurement, brain extraction, brain alignment and midline displacement.
In March 2025, Hyperfine announced a partnership with Nvidia to enhance AI-driven image reconstruction and integrate real-time clinical decision support within the portable MRI workflow.
Utilising Nvidia’s comprehensive training and inference tools, including DALI and MONAI, the partnership aims to improve the Swoop system’s image quality, shorten scan durations and support quicker, more dependable diagnoses.
Benefits of the Swoop portable MRI system
The Swoop portable MRI system reduces acquisition costs by 20 times, consumes 35-times less power and weighs a tenth of existing fixed conventional MRI systems.
It provides patients and clinicians with high accessibility, immediacy and convenience.
Swoop overcomes the constraints of existing imaging technologies and makes MRI available to every patient, at any time and in any place.
The patient-friendly open layout of the system reduces patient anxiety. It displays images in minutes, allowing for critical decision-making in clinical settings such as neuro-intensive care units, emergency rooms and paediatric settings. It also allows physicians to move more swiftly from scans to suggested courses of treatment.
Clinical research details using Swoop portable MRI system
The Swoop portable MRI system is being used in global clinical research studies. In May 2023, Hyperfine expanded its clinical research, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to investigate the neurological effects of early childhood malnutrition in low and middle-income countries. The initiative aims to understand the impact of malnutrition on children’s school readiness and future academic success.
A $3m grant from the foundation extended this research over three years, during which Hyperfine aimed to enhance the Swoop portable MRI system to improve its functionality, software and data management for remote settings. The grant also supported the development and optimisation of neuroimaging MRI sequences for neonates and infants.
The system is used in the CARE PMR observational study to evaluate the clinical utility and workflow benefits of Swoop system images in detecting amyloid-related imaging abnormalities in Alzheimer’s disease patients receiving amyloid-targeting therapy.
Hyperfine collaborated with Athletic Heart Cardiac and Metabolic Testing, a mobile medical diagnostic company, to provide portable brain imaging screenings to current and retired professional athletes, starting with retired professional basketball players.
Investigators of the ACTION PMR [post-marketing requirement] study aimed to integrate brain imaging with the Swoop system into the stroke diagnosis and treatment workflow in an international, multi-site prospective study.
The system is also used in the HOPE PMR observational study to enhance the standard of care for paediatric hydrocephalus management.
The multicentre, real-world NEURO PMR study employed the system to assess both the clinical performance and patient experience of portable MRI in comparison with high‑field MRI in outpatient neurology settings. In terms of clinical performance, portable MRI showed 92% agreement with high‑field MRI in determining the presence or absence of structural abnormalities during blinded neuroradiological assessment, rising to 98% when clinical information was available.
