News & Events

Clinical study demonstrates the value and efficacy of in-NICU MRI
using the Embrace® Neonatal MRI System

Newly published research conveys the
clinical utility of the 1T Embrace® inside a Level III NICU

Nashville, TN — August 4, 2022 — The results of a 2-year clinical study were published in the Journal of Perinatology on April 22, 2022, illustrating the value of having the Embrace® Neonatal MRI System in the NICU to provide critical data for the detection and evaluation of brain injury or abnormalities in preterm and critically-ill infants. The study, which began in 2019 following the installation of the FDA-cleared Embrace® System in the Level III neonatal intensive care unit at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, included MR imaging of 207 infants for clinical indications and research cases. The research team shares their clinical experience with the Embrace® Neonatal MRI System together with key findings and image comparisons. Co-authors of the study, Kristen R. Thiim, Elizabeth Singh, Srinivasan Mukundan, P. Ellen Grant, Edward Yang, Mohamed El-Dib, and Terrie E. Inder, concluded that the Embrace® MRI scans detected clinically relevant brain abnormalities and in a subset, were also found to be clinically comparable to scans generated by a 3T Siemens Trio.

Among the most notable observations within the study:

• The Embrace® enables greater access to MRI for even the most critical and unstable NICU patients; providing the care team with critical data that was previously unavailable using off-unit adult-oriented scanners;
• The Embrace® demonstrates findings of clinical significance in both clinical and research use;
• The in-NICU Embrace® Neonatal MRI System has the potential to be a valuable clinical tool in providing critical information for the detection, care and treatment of brain injury and abnormalities in infants.

“We are pleased to see the many benefits of the Embrace® Neonatal MRI Systems recognized through clinical research presented by such an esteemed team of neonatal care specialists, explains Wendy Slatery, Chief Commercial Officer at Aspect Imaging Ltd. “In addition to validating the system’s performance as a diagnostic tool , it emphasizes the need and importance of making MRI more accessible at the point of care for even the most vulnerable NICU patients; leading to more accurate neuroimaging of the neonatal brain for improved patient care. This speaks to the very purpose and patient-focused design of the Embrace® Neonatal MRI System.”

According to Terrie Inder, MBChB, MD, Chair of the Department of Pediatric Newborn Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Mary Ellen Avery Professor of Pediatrics in the Field of Newborn Medicine at Harvard Medical School, “The study showed that the in-NICU MRI has the potential to provide valuable clinical information to inform neonatal clinical care. We found that this technology provided images with a similar diagnostic yield compared to 3T MRI and demonstrated superiority in the detection of brain injury compared to cranial ultrasound.”

The complete published clinical study is available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41372-022-01387-5

About the Embrace® Neonatal MRI System

The Embrace® Neonatal MRI System is transforming neonatal care at the point of care, by enabling greater access to MRI for those NICU patients who need it most. The patient-focused Embrace® features a small footprint and is uniquely designed to fit perfectly in an existing or newly constructed NICU. By eliminating the stress, risks, complexity and time often associated with transporting vulnerable neonates to the Radiology department for scanning, clinicians can access the critical data needed to make more confident care decisions, while NICU patients remain safe and comfortable in their care environment.

About Aspect Imaging Ltd.

Aspect Imaging is a world leader in the design and development of innovative, compact magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems for use in research and clinical applications. Our breakthrough technology in compact, high-performance, permanent magnets — including the Embrace® Neonatal MRI System, the first FDA-cleared, CE-marked MRI system designed specifically for use with premature and critically-ill patients inside the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit — offers disruptive MRI solutions designed to address unmet needs in research and medical applications, providing quality, high-resolution imaging for the benchtop and at the point-of-care.

For more information about the Embrace® Neonatal MRI System, visit embracemri.com  contact Wendy Slatery at wslatery@aspectimaging.com.

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