Hyperfine Research has received US Food & Drug Administration 510(k) clearance for the world’s first bedside Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system, clearing the way for device shipments this summer. The Hyperfine system is 20X lower cost, 35X lower power consumption, and 10X lower weight than today’s fixed conventional MRI systems.
It will cost about $50,000.
MRI scans can be viewed in less than 2 minutes instead of up to 15 hours.
Hyperfine’s scanner from a tablet.
MRI uses a magnetic field, radio waves and a computer to produce detailed pictures of the body’s internal structures that are clearer, more detailed and more likely in some instances to identify and accurately characterize disease than other imaging methods.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.
I am disagreeing with the “everyone” part of the comment.
Yes, that will happen eventually was well, but that doesn’t negate the need for diagnostics.
Yet many of those homes have people living in them who now have smart watches that report BPM and blood pressure.
I remember a tech show that speculated on how awesome a gene scanner in your toilet would be, being able to detect cancer cells and all sorts of conditions from your poop.
The company website is vague, at least as far as I read, but they do indicate that this operates on slightly different principles than a standard NMR and does not involve anything like the same magnetic fields.
Which is good, because you aren’t wheeling anything around a hospital that will rip a scalpel or pen right out of someone’s hands and through any intervening walls, equipment or people.
Eye clinics (ophthalmology, not optometry)may be able to heavily utilize this.
This is only for head MRI. Only useful to assessing closed head injuries, CVA (thrombosis or hemorrhage). Not sure how much it would be used for new-onset seizure as the need is not so acute for those. Also, CT will usually do the trick for baseline assessment of closed head injuries or CVA within an ER setting so I am not sure what kind of adoption there with this device. Will be good for rural hospitals that can’t afford MRI and don’t have CT. The low magnetic field is probably the most interesting thing about this. There are occasional deaths due to people bringing metal stuff into MRI room and it getting sucked into the tunnel with extreme force and crushing whoever is in the way. The power of the magnets on a full sized MRI machine is no joke. Can pull an O2 cylinder or IV stand from more than 10 feet (3.5m) away and exert incredible force.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BBx8BwLhqg
No… just you.
Portends virtual immortality.
The top and bottom discs above the base pedestal probably contain the magnet assemblies (described as permanent magnets).
Might be using a combination of electropermanent magnets and halbach arrays to keep the exterior field down to a reasonable level (to not try to suck in metallic objects like the bed or an IV drip stand). It’s effectively got a small bore though, so you can only put in limbs and heads though.
It seems to be kinda slow though (slowly increasing the resolved resolution via repeated scans, so you need to keep still too) as you are not translating the scan object through the bore, unlike traditional MRI’s with the sliding bed. Not quite ER oriented either, as it’s meant for small clinical settings.
The device is positioned beside the bed and the patient’s head is inserted from the left (as the device is pictured) like putting a chicken in a toaster oven. The MRI is only suitable for evaluating stroke patients at present.
So looking at that gizmo, I’ve got to ask, where are the magnets, how do you get a person in it and if it’s got powerful magnets and is going to be used in a patients room or the ER is that safe?
Once we get full nanotech, the diagnostic systems can be inside your body – along with some of the treatment systems. You’d be carrying your own hospital with you.
I think that’s the old way of problem solving. The disruptive way will be when anti aging research manages to deploy something that eliminates >90% of diseases.
Healthcare will look very different.
Given that everyone’s home has yet to have electricity or running water that’ll be a long time coming.
Assuming you mean any decent, civilized, home: that still currently falls short of having a first aid kit or pulse and blood pressure measurement. Stuff that was available literally in the 19th century.
People are clearly not in a rush.
You’ll be dead before that day happens.
I envision a day when everyone’s home has all the diagnostic systems necessary to remotely diagnose almost all diseases and ailments built into your bed and bathroom.