Synaptive Medical Inc., a leader in surgical planning and navigation technology, announced today its intent to launch Evry™, a dedicated head Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system intended to provide MRI directly at the Point-of-Care (POC) at the QEII Health Sciences Centre (QEII) in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The QEII will be one of the first adopters to use the dedicated head-only MRI system as part of a four-year study in partnership with the Nova Scotia Halifax Authority (NSHA).
The purpose of Synaptive’s Evry, a dedicated head MRI, is specifically for imaging patients in situations that require immediate decision making, such as with acute stroke. The system comprises a superconducting magnet, powerful gradients and a custom head coil allowing it to be sited in areas previously inaccessible to MRI system installation—for example, directly within emergency departments, ICUs and other areas in the hospital where imaging of patients earlier in their care cycle is critical to their outcomes.
“With the adoption of Evry, for the first time ever, MRI technology will become accessible directly at a patient’s point of care within an emergency department and other areas of the hospital, giving doctors vital – and potentially life-saving – information when and where they need it most,” said Peter Wehrly, CEO of Synaptive Medical. “Our team spent years developing Evry and we are excited to partner with the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) to study the impact it will have by lowering the barrier to receiving an appropriate MRI.”
The QEII will be one of the first hospitals to use the machine on patients, as part of a four-year study with the NSHA inside QEII’s Biomedical Translational Imaging Centre (BIOTIC). The study aims to overcome barriers that have previously prevented the routine use of MRI directly in the emergency department and to help health care facilities make informed decisions on the role that Evry will be able to provide at the point of care.
“When someone has a stroke, a couple of minutes can mean the difference between maintaining brain functions and losing them,” said Dr. Steven Beyea, Scientific Director, BIOTIC at the NSHA. “By bringing MRI directly to the point of care, Synaptive and the Nova Scotia Health Authority will research the impact to patients, clinicians, and the healthcare system more broadly, of providing physicians with faster and more efficient access to MRI.”
Synaptive plans to pursue regulatory approval and adoption by leading health care facilities around the world, with completion of installation at QEII planned for fall 2019.