This world-first portable MRI machine proved its potential in early trials, and a new Yale-led study has built on this success by using it to detect cases of stroke in need of surgical intervention, with a high degree of accuracy.

Dubbed the Portable Point-of-Care MRI system, the machine is the handiwork of healthcare technology company Hyperfine, and was developed as a mobile alternative to large and expensive MRI machines that require custom-built rooms for their powerful magnetic fields. In essence, Hyperfine's MRI solution harnesses advances in computing power to dial down the size of magnets required, packing them into a machine that is 10 times lighter, 20 times less costly and uses 35 times less power than current MRI machines.